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May E-News |
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Make Your Voice Heard on Extreme Heat Protections Deadline May 2! |
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In 2024, OSHA finally took a historic step and announced a proposed federal rule to protect workers from heat injury and illness. This couldn't come at a more critical time — many states have passed laws that ban local governments from enacting heat safety protections for workers, often motivated by political ideology or profits.
Here’s How You Can Help
On June 16, 2025, OSHA will hold a virtual Public Hearing on the Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Rulemaking. This is our opportunity to make sure that the stories, experiences, and expertise of healthcare professionals — people who see firsthand the devastating effects of heat illness — are on the record.
Last year, we worked in coalition to submit over 300 public comments to back a strong federal rule. But we’re not done.
Now, we need your voice. You can sign up to speak for 5 to 20 minutes, and the deadline to register is tomorrow, May 2, 2025. We’ll support you with talking points, and your personal experience will be a powerful reminder of what is at stake. |
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Let us know that you've signed up by emailing director@texaspsr.org. Together, we can help push this rule across the finish line — and ensure that no one has to choose between their health and their job. |
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Texas PSR Presents! Plastics Paradox: Better Living, Hidden Harms |
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Join Texas PSR on Monday, May , 2025, from 7 - 8 PM for our CME webinar, "Climate Change, Pollution, and Reproduction".
This free CME presentation will focus on how climate change and pollution affect reproduction, and most importantly, review ways to mitigate these risks for patients. Dr. Carter and Ms. Olson will provide a roadmap for the future and highlight steps health professionals can do now. |
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Don't Forget! We'd love to have you join us for our final CME webinar of this series. Click on the title to register!
Chronic Health Impacts of Extreme Heat: Weaker Hearts, Kidney Disease, Poor Sleep 06/23/2025 | 7PM – 8PM CT |
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Advocacy in Action: Testimony in Support of PFAS Research |
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On April 24, Grace Andres, a medical student enrolled in Texas PSR's Dell elective, testified in front of the Committee on Environmental Regulation in support of HB1730, "Relating to a study regarding the effects of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals on public health. An excerpt of her testimony is below:
As a research assistant who studied PFAS, we found PFAS chemicals in the blood of virtually every single one of our study participants. Many of these people had no idea what these chemicals were, how they had come into contact with them, or how they could impact their health. They were scared and upset that these chemicals had been allowed to poison their environment and found their way into their bodies. The honest truth is, they were right to be afraid, because no amount of PFAS in our bodies is considered safe. As a future physician, I am distressed by the prevalence of these chemicals and concerned about how they will potentially impact our health, the health of our children, and the environment we work, live, and play in. |
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Pictured left: Grace testifying before the committee. Pictured right: Grace with House Representative Penny Morales Shaw, who introduced HB 1730. |
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Urge Your U.S. Representative: Stop Spending On Nuclear Weapons |
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Every year, National PSR tracks how much our country spends on nuclear weapons programs — and the numbers are staggering. PSR-LA Co-President Dr. Bob Dodge released the Community Cost Calculator, which reveals how much of your hard-earned tax dollars go toward maintaining and expanding a nuclear arsenal that must never be used.
In Fiscal Year 2025, the U.S. spent more than $110 billion on nuclear weapons programs. That’s $324.43 for every person in the United States. In Texas, taxpayers in one year spent $9,250,464,066. And this is only a piece of the United States' massive defense spending which is proposed by President Trump to increase to $1 trillion in FY26. This is in addition to the concessions made to increase spending for the Pentagon and the militarization of our southern border in current budget reconciliation negotiations. These are resources that could be directed toward urgent priorities such as housing, clean water, and climate adaptation, not to mention healthcare - particularly as Medicaid is under attack in Congress.
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United to Serve Health Fair at UT Southwestern |
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Spread the word! UT Southwestern is offering a free community health fair serving Dallas-Fort Worth residents. The fair offers free health screenings, sports physicals, cooking demonstrations, interactive health education, science exhibitions, and a carnival of games. We work with local community and business leaders to provide families with a wonderful day full of fun, learning, and free prizes! Learn more here.
The North Texas PSR Regional Council and Student Chapter will be distributing mist fans and educational materials on heat illness to residents in preparation for the high heat summer.
Date: May 3, 2025 9:00AM - 2:00PM Location: 2929 Inwood Rd., Dallas, Texas 75235 |
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Health Professionals Sign-On: 100 Days, 100 Harms |
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In only 100 Days, the Trump Administration has caused harm to the people across the country, our health, our climate, our wallets, with the worst harms to the most vulnerable people. His actions have accelerated the climate crisis and endangered communities' health by kneecapping pollution protections and crippling extreme weather preparedness.
Please sign onto this letter for health experts, opposing the EPA's plans to roll back climate pollution protections and rescind the endangerment finding, which allows EPA to limit carbon pollution. |
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New Read: Handbook of Climate Psychiatry & Psychotherapy A Manual for Clinicians |
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The Handbook of Climate Psychiatry and Psychotherapy provides the science and guidance needed for the psychiatric and psychological response to climate change in a format accessible to office- or clinic-based mental health clinicians, including physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and allied professionals. Divided into four sections, this volume includes:
• An introduction to climate justice, and the ethics and public health activities of engaging climate change as a psychiatrist. • An examination of the neuropsychiatric impacts of climate effects such as extreme heat, air pollution, vector-borne illness and food and water insecurity. |
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• Practical guidance on performing climate-informed patient assessments and psychotherapy interventions at individual and group levels • A review of the community, global, institutional, research, and educational aspects of climate psychiatry |
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Give to Texas PSR |
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We do so much with so little, imagine what we could do |
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OR to mail your contribution to us, please send a check to our mailing address: Texas PSR, 3571 Far West Blvd. #3428 Austin, TX 78731 As a registered non-profit under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code, all donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. |
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