Community Engagement

The CEC convenes a Community Advisory Board (CAB) of clinical and community health practitioners to guide CEC activities.

The CAB is charged with the following objectives:

1. Provide feedback for REACH CEC Activities. 
2. Participate in a cross-sector community of practice around climate change and health in the WWAMI region.
3. Articulate priorities for engaging with communities on climate and health adaptation in the WWAMI region.

REACH CAB members include:

• Abby Davids, Faculty and Boise Program Director, Full Circle Health Family Medicine Residency of Idaho
• Cari Hacking, Trauma Program Manager, Banner Wyoming Medical Center
• Dana Kingfisher, Director of Prevention and Health Promotion, All Nations Health Center
• Colette Kirchhoff, MD, FAAFP, Clinical Associate Professor of Family Medicine, University of Washington, and Foundations of Clinical Medicine Director, WWAMI Medical School in Montana
• Jason Lau, Clinical Informatics Fellow, University of Washington
• Laura Laumatia, Environmental Programs Manager, Coeur d’Alene Tribe
• Jenny Lessner, MD, Family Medicine Physician, Fairbanks, Alaska
• Leena Myran, Clinical Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice, University of Wyoming Family Medicine Residency Program
• Ruth Payne, Lead Community Health Worker, Community Support Services, Community Health Plan of Washington

The Community Engagement Toolkit for Climate and Health Research supports researchers and communities in designing and implementing engagement that builds trust with community members and centers community empowerment in resilience efforts. It was adapted from a range of existing community engagement resources and guidance to support researchers, communities, and students in integrating engagement into future climate health initiatives. 

This toolkit includes:

• Guiding principles for community engagement
• An engagement checklist and fillable planning template
• A framework for identifying the appropriate level(s) and method(s) of engagement for unique research contexts and examples of engagement activities

Please reach out to CEC staff (see contact information at the bottom of the page) to share feedback on the Toolkit.

The REACH Center hosted the Health in a Changing Environment Symposium on July 30, 2025, for clinical and community health practitioners engaged or interested in climate and health risk reduction efforts in the WWAMI region. Through facilitated group discussions, the research team sought to understand the climate-sensitive hazards that impact the health of the populations served by symposium participants and populations disproportionately impacted by these hazards. In addition, the symposium aimed to identify risk reduction interventions, facilitators and barriers to implementation and uptake, and remaining needs to support practitioners in the pursuit of interventions. 

The symposium findings will support the prioritization of key climate change and health issues for research, intervention, and educational activities in the WWAMI region. The report includes a description of the symposium methods, a summary of symposium participants’ conversations, and a discussion of needs and next steps for climate and health risk reduction in the WWAMI region. 

Please reach out to CEC staff (see contact information at the bottom of the page) to share feedback on the Report.

Work in progress - check back soon.

"A Guide for Incorporating Storytelling into Research Communications for Climate and Health Research" is designed to guide environmental public health researchers through effectively communicating their work to achieve desired goals, such as informing the public or advocating for a public health intervention or policy. It outlines a process for storytelling communication, including determining communication goals, intended audience, communication framework, communication medium, and story structure. 

Please reach out to CEC staff (see contact information at the bottom of the page) to share feedback on the Guide.

• Tania Busch Isaksen, REACH Community Engagement Core Project Lead, Teaching Professor, Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences 
• Resham Patel, REACH Community Engagement Core Project Co-Lead, Assistant Teaching Professor, Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences
• Anna Reed, Community Resilience Project Manager, Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences 
• Clare McCarthy, Research Coordinator, Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences 
• Cat Hartwell, Assistant Director of Strategic Engagement of the Center for Disaster Resilient Communities, Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences 
• Gen Conley, Research Coordinator, Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences
• Nancy McWilliams, Master of Science Student, Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences
• Abigail Meyers, Undergraduate Student, School of Environmental and Forestry Sciences

To contact the CEC, email Anna (areed5@uw.edu) or Clare (claremc@uw.edu).