Climate Resilient Healthcare Systems | FUSE

About Us
About Us
FUSE is a national nonprofit dedicated to increasing the capacity of local governments to engage communities, advance racial equity, and work more effectively for everyone.
About us Overview
Our Model
The FUSE Model centers around a one-year full-time public service role in city or county government and includes three primary phases from start to finish.
Our Fellows & Alumni
FUSE Executive Fellows and Alumni are experienced leaders committed to advancing equity through action-oriented partnerships with government agencies.
FUSE Careers
FUSE is a national nonprofit dedicated to increasing the capacity of local governments to engage communities, advance racial equity, and work more effectively for everyone.
Our Team
The FUSE team and board of directors are committed to driving equitable change locally and nationally.
Work with FUSE
Work with FUSE
The power of government. The experience of community. The impact of new ideas. Together we can build better systems
Work with FUSE Overview
Partner With FUSE
The FUSE Model centers around a one-year full-time public service role in city or county government and includes three primary phases from start to finish.
Executive Fellowship Program
FUSE Executive Fellows and Alumni are experienced leaders committed to advancing equity through action-oriented partnerships with government agencies.
Funders And Supporters
Thanks to the generous support and close partnerships of our funders and supporters, we have been able to deepen our impact on issues that matter the most to communities and the government agencies that serve them.
Newsroom
Read more about our work, partner success, and updates.
Our Projects
Our Projects
Through strategic collaboration, these initiatives harness innovative solutions and practices to bridge gaps in healthcare access.
View All Projects
Health
Expanding access to affordable health care and mental health resources to improve key indicators of community health.
Justice
Enhancing public safety and reform of criminal justice by changing policing, 911 dispatching, bail, sentencing, probation, reentry.
Education
Improving options for childcare, early education, STEM, out-of-school-time, and post-secondary enrollment and affordability.
Climate
Building new infrastructure, disaster resilience, renewable energy, green economy jobs, and plans to reduce emissions.
Housing
Addressing issues of homelessness, housing insecurity, gentrification, and the need to preserve and build more affordable housing.
Jobs
Increasing the number of living-wage jobs and preparing for the future of work through expanded job training.
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King County is dedicated to building innovative and intersectional climate solutions that support community resilience and limit the climate burden on frontline communities. The County’s 2020 Strategic Climate Action Plan (SCAP), is a five-year plan for the County’s climate actions, integrating climate change into all areas of County operations. Under this plan, Public Health – Seattle & King County (PHSKC) is committed to improving equity and building community resiliency, while considering social justice as first and foremost in its climate policy and planning. In addition, PHSKC works with the King County Hospitals for a Healthier Community (HHC) collaborative to jointly produce a King County Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) report. While prior reports have not included the impact of climate change on public health, PHSKC will be working in partnership with hospital members to identify climate change-related data to incorporate in the upcoming 2024/2025 CHNA report.

King County will partner with FUSE to explore and identify opportunities to align work on climate change and health equity across the healthcare sector. The FUSE Executive Fellow will: collect and analyze data around climate change’s impact on community health and equity, engage with interested healthcare partners (local hospital/health systems), and develop a strategic framework for healthcare systems to mitigate the impact of climate change. This may also include engaging with the 10 hospital/health systems that are members of the HHC to explore strategies and planning related to climate change and the county-wide CHNA report that informs each hospital/health system’s individual health improvement strategies. Ultimately, this work will help King County actualize its goal of reducing public health risks associated with climate change, thereby creating more resilient and equitable communities.

COLIN RHODES is dedicated to building community resilience to the health impacts of climate change. He has previously worked on climate change, health, and equity-oriented projects for Public Health - Seattle & King County and held diverse roles for private, non-profit, and academic institutions. Colin is passionate about addressing the inequitable policies, institutions, and healthcare delivery systems that contribute to disparities across the social determinants of health and vulnerability to climate change. He has bachelor's (Central Washington University - 2012) and master's (University of Washington - 2020) degrees in Public Health and completed the Yale University Climate Change and Health certificate program in 2022.

Fall 2022 FUSE Executive Fellow Colin Rhodes

2022-2023 | City of Seattle & King County - Public Health – Environmental Health Services Division (PHSKC)

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