Operating Through an Existential Crisis: A Surgeon’s View on Climate Change

In this session, Dr. Ng-Kamstra explores the profound impact of climate change on surgical practice. Framed through both mitigation and adaptation lenses, the presentation highlights how surgical systems contribute to environmental challenges—and how they must evolve to remain resilient. Dr. Ng-Kamstra discusses strategies to reduce the surgical carbon footprint while adapting care delivery to withstand climate-driven disruptions, from resource shortages to extreme weather events. The session offers a call to action for surgeons to lead in building a sustainable, climate-ready healthcare future.

Featured Speaker

Joshua S. Ng-Kamstra, MD, MPH is an Assistant Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School and a Trauma and Acute Care Surgeon and Surgical Intensivist at Massachusetts General Hospital. His research focuses on improving access to surgical care for vulnerable populations, Implementation Science in surgical care, and building resilient surgical systems. He has authored over 60 peer-reviewed publications and has received national recognition for his work in global surgery. Over the past two years, Dr. Ng-Kamstra has expanded his work to explore the intersection of climate change and surgical care, examining strategies to mitigate healthcare’s environmental footprint and adapt surgical systems to the realities of a changing climate.

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Operating Through an Existential Crisis: A Surgeon’s View on Climate Change