September 24, 2025

BC kidney care providers unveil novel climate disaster strategy

A team of kidney care providers in British Columbia has developed a new emergency task force of nurses trained to deliver life-saving dialysis during climate disasters. This innovative approach offers a model that could benefit patients across Canada if more widely adopted. 

As climate disasters become more frequent and severe, health systems are exploring how to maintain care during challenging situations. BC Renal, the provincial agency responsible for delivering dialysis to thousands of British Columbians, began by identifying the most likely climate-related threats to disrupt treatment in the province (such as droughts and wildfires).  

Next, they assessed care providers’ current capacity to deliver care and determined that additional funds would be necessary to hire and train new staff to coordinate and deliver dialysis during climate-related emergencies.  

The result was the Hemodialysis Emergency Support Team (HEST)—a group of 12 nurses based at in-center outpatient hemodialysis units across the province. The team consulted experts and developed standard protocols for different types of crises, which were tested and refined through pilot exercises and mock drills. 

In day-to-day practice, HEST nurses mentor local teams, share best practices, and help build capacity within the hemodialysis units. Surveys of newer nurses who received mentorship from HEST showed strong support for the program and its benefits.