Heat Waves as a Public Health Emergency: When the Temperature Rises, So Do the ER Visits Heat waves have long been recognized by medical professionals as a significant public health concern.
A recent study from Northwestern University's medical school underscores this reality, analyzing 916,404 emergency room and urgent care visits between 2011 and 2023 in Chicago.
The researchers found that temperatures above 92. 6 degrees Fahrenheit (33.