The Nicholas Institute launched the Heat Policy Innovation Hub in June 2023 to collaborate with communities to develop and deploy policies addressing extreme heat’s impact on health and well-being. In its first year, the hub established Duke as a leader in heat and health, convening a summit over three days in June 2024 with over 100 U.S. leaders to launch the HeatWise Policy Partnership.
The hub also partnered with three state agencies to create a Heat Action Plan Toolkit for North Carolina, offering resources to help communities address extreme heat. The toolkit includes a customizable heat action plan template and public outreach resources, as well as recommended actions for healthcare staff and local leaders when extreme heat is in the forecast. Additionally, a national policy brief was released to guide high school athletics associations on protecting student-athletes competing and training in high temperatures.