Cleveland Clinic South Pointe Hospital Joins Local Effort Focused on Raising Awareness About Air Quality

Cleveland Clinic South Pointe Hospital has taken a significant step in supporting local initiatives to raise awareness about air quality and its impact on health.

In collaboration with the city of Cleveland’s CLEANinCLE program, funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the hospital has installed a state-of-the-art air-quality monitoring trailer on its campus. This trailer is equipped with advanced, EPA-certified technology to track ozone, fine particulate matter, coarse particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide and various meteorological parameters.

Residents living near South Pointe Hospital now have access to near real-time air quality data through an interactive online dashboard. This tool empowers the community to make informed decisions about outdoor activities, safeguarding their health and well-being. Poor air quality is known to aggravate respiratory issues, causing symptoms such as shortness of breath and coughing – even in individuals without preexisting conditions.

Cleveland Clinic pulmonologist Maeve MacMurdo, M.D., serves as the medical advisor for this initiative, providing guidance about the health impacts of poor air quality and identifying opportunities to improve community health outcomes.

“Exposure to poor-quality air can significantly worsen symptoms for individuals with chronic lung diseases and increase the risk of developing respiratory conditions like asthma,” said Dr. MacMurdo. “We are proud to contribute to this project, which aims to inform and raise environmental health awareness in the community.”