Gary Cohen

About Gary Cohen

Gary Cohen is a co-founder and President of Health Care Without Harm the international campaign for environmentally responsible healthcare. HCWH is working to prevent disease and illness in society by assisting the healthcare sector to understand the links between a healthy environment and healthy people and helping hospitals become more environmentally sustainable as well as anchors in their communities for resilience, equity and community wellness. HCWH is focused on mobilizing the health sector globally to address the climate crisis as a medical emergency. HCWH has member organizations and partners in 70 countries. He is President of Practice Greenhealth, a U.S. membership affiliate of HCWH with over 1300 hospital members. He is also the co-founder of Greenhealth Exchange, a sustainable purchasing cooperative in the U.S. healthcare sector. Mr. Cohen is a member of the International Advisory Board of the Sambhavna Clinic in Bhopal, India, which provides free medical care to the survivors of the Union Carbide gas disaster in Bhopal. He has been working on environmental health issues for thirty five years and has published in numerous books and articles. Mr. Cohen was awarded the MacArthur \"Genius:\" award in 2015. He was awarded the Champion for Change for Climate Change and Public Health by the White House in 2013. He was also awarded the Skoll Global Award for Social Entrepreneurship in 2006 and the Frank Hatch Award for Enlightened Public Service Award in 2007.

Experience

1. President Co-founder

   Health Care Without Harm

   Sep 1996 — Present · Boston, MA, US

   Principal co-founder and President of large international coalition to reform the environmental practices of the health care industry. Coalition includes organizations and partners in seventy countries. HCWH has programs on safer chemicals, energy, environmental purchasing, medical waste and healthy food. HCWH also operates a membership based subsidiary called Practice Greenhealth, which has 1,500 hospital members in the United States. It also has an international membership entity called Global Green and Healthy Hospitals, with partners in 81 countries. HCWH has developed partnerships with the World Health Organization, United Nations Development Programme, U.S. EPA, Group Purchasing Organizations and health professional associations around the world.

Education

• Clark University

  BA

  1974 — 1978

• University of California, Berkeley

  South Asian Studies

  1983 — 1984