Welcome New Board Member!

Please meet our newest board member, E Thomas Nelson, MD. We are excited to have him as part of the UPHE team! Here is an introduction he wrote for us that we would like to share with you:

I was born and raised in the shadows of the Wasatch mountains, while my wife grew up on the beaches of South Carolina. When we moved to Salt Lake City a few years ago, she was horrified by the periodic inversions I was all too familiar with. Being a meteorologist, my wife delved into the topic further, and quickly educated herself on how our unique geography predisposes those of us living on the Wasatch Front to particularly toxic air. 

As an emergency physician, I myself quickly realized an oversight of mine: that poor air quality inevitably plays into many of the pathologies I see every day. I found myself disheartened that those who suffer from the adverse effects of poor air quality are the innocent bystanders of a problem they have essentially no control over. I can encourage my patients to quit smoking cigarettes, but I can’t tell them to stop breathing. 

It was at this time I decided to educate myself on the topic, as I felt there had to be something I could do to help promote the safety of my fellow Utahans. The problem and the solution seemed simple enough: pollution is toxic, our cities are frequently saturated in pollution, therefore we must decrease pollution however possible. While this seems a simple concept on the surface, I quickly realized that this issue is overwhelming, and alone I stood little chance of making a demonstrable difference. 

Upon learning about UPHE, I reached out to Dr. Moench. I was deeply impressed by the level of dedication and tremendous amount of positive change this organization has brought about, and I knew I wanted to be a part of what they were working toward. I feel very lucky to have joined this group of dedicated individuals, and look forward to contributing however I can to making this a better place for all to live.