2023 Durham County Community Health Assessment

The 2023 Durham Community Health Assessment was produced as part of the accreditation process for the Durham County Department of Public Health and Affordable Care Act requirements for Duke Health. Community members and stakeholders gathered and supplied data to aid in understanding the health issues of the county, resulting in new community health priorities.

Nicholas Institute experts Ashley Ward and Jordan Clark contributed to Chapter 11, Environmental Health and Climate Change, highlighting the disparate impact of extreme heat on local residents and current and future resources to mitigate the worst impacts of extreme heat exposure.

The extreme heat section of the chapter includes data on heat-related emergency room visits, the varied impact of the urban heat island effect, and projections of extreme heat in Durham as a result of climate change. The section also offers resources to mitigate exposure to extreme heat and subsequent health impacts and highlights initiatives and activities already underway to help support those most vulnerable to heat.