Straining the System: Heat and Health-Care Outcomes, with Sandra Aguilar-Gomez

In this week’s episode, host Kristin Hayes sits in on the annual conference of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists to talk with Sandra Aguilar-Gomez, an assistant professor of economics at the Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia, about Aguilar-Gomez’s work on heat-induced overcrowding in hospitals in Mexico. They discuss the effect of heat on human health, the stress that high temperatures exert on the Mexican public health-care system, and the impact of overcrowded hospitals on patient outcomes. Aguilar-Gomez also shares strategies for bolstering the emergency preparedness of hospitals, such as improving communication between hospitals and encouraging people to take preventative measures during periods of extreme heat. References and recommendations: Sandra Aguilar-Gomez homepage; https://sandraaguilargomez.com/ “Babbage” podcast; https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/babbage-from-the-economist/id508376907 “How to Save the Planet” podcast; https://gimletmedia.com/shows/howtosaveaplanet