January 22, 2021

by drplasticpicker

I just wrote this great post that I won’t publish. I needed to work through some emotions and a work situation. I feel a lot better now, but I don’t want to create more waves than I need to – so I’ll keep it to myself. Writing is ever therapeutic for me. I’ll instead try to be productive and get stuff done for the environment today.

1. Movie Screening “Gather.” Wrote to Director Sanjay again to try to nail down a date and time for a film screening. I’m wondering if professional creative types and their email response times. Maybe he has a lot on his plate. Maybe he’s working an another fantastic movie. This is my first time interacting with a director!
2. CleanMed 2021 Abstract Submitted: Possible Conference May 2021

Climate Activism from A Middle-Managers Perspective: How Do I Engage The Department?

I would like to present my efforts to inspire and engage more physicians in my department and community to become climate activist themselves.  I am Assistant Chief of Pediatrics, and I quickly realized that I am part of a dynamic pre-existing community of concerned pediatricians at work and within the American Academy of Pediatrics.  The two ways I want to highlight how I sought to activate other pediatricians is through connecting multiple local clinicians with national climate leaders to create a series of 5 learning modules within our HMO centered around Climate Change and Health.  These are journal clubs and enduring presentations that are then recorded and edited, and made into CME material available to everyone. The process of creating these discussions builds knowledge, community, connections and enthusiasm around climate work.  Module (1) was pediatric plant-based diets. Module (2) pediatric health and clean air. Module (3) pharmaceutical waste. Module (4) endocrine disrupting hormons in the environment and (5) to be determined.  This has led to a cascading effect of triggering projects that combine more efficient medical practices, encouraging fiscal responsibility and stewardship in our integrated health care system.  An example is our module (1) led our pediatric department to begin helping to restructure our nutrition department to incorporate plant-based eating in counseling. Planning for Module (3) led to our Chief of Endocrinology wanting to tackle overprescription of diabetic testing supplies, and now partnering with us on a Pharmaceutical Waste Project.  My presentation seeks to demonstrate that those already in management need to be front and center in the climate conservations, and to move our healthcare systems to a more sustainable model.  

3. Judges for the AAP-CA3 Climate Change and Health Youth Arts Exhibition:

2D Art: Sabrina Perrino MD, Melissa Morelos MD, Ashley Teo, Sally Kaufman MD
3D Art: Patricia Pascual MD, Rita Feghali MD, Heather Taylor RN
Photography: Andrei Fodoreanu MD, MPA Board Member, Robert Lemos RN, Dennis Andrade MD (not confirmed)
Poetry: Tania Pryputniewicz MFA, Theodore Ng MD, Sara Valladolid MD, Hakim Tokhi

4. Beer Vinegar

Pausterizing my last batch of beer vinegar, and starting my new batch. I use the beer vinegar for cleaning. I know it’s weird but I find about once a month, an unopened can of beer. It’s the signal from the earth to start a new batch! I wash the can of course, make vinegar, and then use it for cleaning. I could totally drink it! But it helps me reduce the amount of plastic I buy with cleaning products and it works really well!

5. A Set of Parents Who Have Been There From the Beginning: This blog and the environmental work has always been about the real community that I am a part of. I just sent an email to someone who I admire alot, who is helping us as part of the Youth Art’s Exhibition. What a wonderful world it can be, if only we can imagine in.