2026

CalMatters | "California is spending hundreds of millions on heat. Will it ever be a public health priority?"


CalMatters interviewed Dr. David Eisenman, a physician and professor at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, about responses to extreme heat.

CalMatters | California is spending hundreds of millions on heat. Will it ever be a public health priority?
The UCLA Heat Maps show that excess emergency department visits during heat events cluster in lower-income communities with less tree canopy and worse scores on the Healthy Places Index. Image credit: UCLA Fielding.

CalMatters interviewed Dr. David Eisenman, a physician and professor at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health whose work include the UCLA Heat Maps project, about responses to extreme heat.

"Dr. David Eisenman, a professor at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, said too much heat response work is run by emergency management. 'This is really a well-known public health emergency that should be thought of under public health, and they should be the prime movers on this.' ”

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