Heat and Medications Taskforce

Heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States. Heat also impacts how our bodies function when we are exposed to extremely high environmental temperatures. The medications we take can also increase our risk to developing heat related illness by influencing how our body responds to heat. In partnership with the Arizona Department of Health Services, SCORCH has convened a Heat and Medications Taskforce to build awareness of this issue among the broad health care provider community and the public.

University of Arizona, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health

Mona Arora, PhD (Lead) Assistant Research Professor, Multiple Principal Investigator for SCORCH, Community Engagement Core Lead

Kacey Ernst, PhD, Professor & Department Chair, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Multiple Principal Investigator for SCORCH

Bridget Murphy, DBH, MEd Assistant Research Professor, (Center for Rural Health)


Arizona Department of Health Services

Eugene Livar, MD, Chief Heat Officer

Jennifer Botsford, Bureau Chief, Resiliency and the Environment


Pima County Health Department

Mark Person, Program Manager II, Community Mental Health & Addiction and Injury Division.

Kat Davis, MPH, Division Manager for Emergency Mitigation and Preparedness

Julie Robinson, PhD, Program Officer, Office of Climate and Environmental Health Justice


Arizona Community Health Workers Association, Inc. 

Richard Redondo, PSIO BS, CHW, Research & Programs Manager


University of Arizona, Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center

Cori Cantin, BSPH, CHES, Community Outreach Coordinator

Steve Dudley, PharmD, DABAT, Director

Alexander James Jasensky


University of Arizona, College of Medicine 

Brian Drummond. MD, FAAEM, Clinical Professor, Emergency Medicine - (Clinical Series Track), Department of Emergency Medicine

Harry McDermott, MD, MPH, Physician and Public Health Officer, Campus Health Service, Professor, Division of Health Promotion Sciences, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Professor, Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine The University of Arizona


University of Arizona, College of Pharmacy

Christopher Edwards, PharmD, BCPS, FASHP, Associate Clinical Professor, Dept. of Pharmacy Practice and Science, Clinical Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine, College of Medicine University of Arizona

Elizabeth Hall-Lipsy, JD, MPH, Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs and Assessment, College of Pharmacy, University of Arizona


University of Arizona College of Nursing

Kristie Hoch, DNP, CRNA, MS, FAANA, Associate Clinical Professor, Program Administrator, Nurse Anesthesiology Specialty