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The global urgency to address the adverse effects of climate change on health, particularly within marginalized communities, necessitates concerted action from healthcare systems and professionals. Recognizing the critical role of health professionals in climate mitigation and adaptation, the Climate & Health 2023 Conference convened to address gaps in preparedness, build community, and foster international collaboration. The conference aimed to educate healthcare students and professionals, facilitate research dissemination, raise awareness of health disparities exacerbated by climate change, and promote innovative climate-responsive healthcare practices. Several key themes emerged from the conference sessions, spanning climate and health education, sustainability in healthcare delivery, community resilience, effective communication strategies, ethical considerations, and addressing healthcare disparities. Participants highlighted the urgent need to continue to integrate climate education into healthcare curricula and promote climate-smart healthcare practices, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting sustainability in clinical care. The importance of effective communication by healthcare professionals to engage the public and policymakers in climate action as well as storytelling by doctors in society as trusted voices were further emphasized as powerful tools to convey the health relevance of climate change. Sessions emphasized the imperative of addressing health disparities exacerbated by climate change, particularly in vulnerable communities. Moving forward, healthcare professionals must continue to advocate for climate action, integrate climate considerations into clinical practice, and prioritize health equity to build a resilient and climate-ready healthcare sector for the 21st century.

Firearm-related deaths and injuries are a serious public health problem in California and the United States. The rate of firearm-related deaths is many times higher in the US than other democratic, industrialized nations, yet many of the deaths and injuries are preventable. The California American College of Emergency Physicians Firearm Injury Prevention Policy was approved and adopted in 2013 as an evidence-based, apolitical statement to promote harm reduction. It recognizes and frames firearm injuries as a public health epidemic requiring allocation of robust resources, including increased governmental funding of high-quality research and the development of a national database system. The policy further calls for relevant legislation to be informed by best evidence and expert consensus, and advocates for legislation regarding the following: mandatory universal background checks; mandatory reporting of firearm loss/theft; restrictions against law-enforcement or military-style assault weapons and high capacity magazines; child-protective safety and storage systems; and prohibitions for high-risk individuals. It also strongly defends the right of physicians to screen and counsel patients about firearm-related risk factors and safety. Based upon best-available evidenced, the policy was recently updated to include extreme risk protection orders, which are also known as gun violence restraining orders.