Every summer, emergency departments across Delaware see patients who didn't realize how dangerous the heat had become until it was too late. Yet heat-related illness is largely preventable.
Extreme heat is the leading cause of weather-related death in the United States, and the problem is getting worse: heat-related deaths among adults over 65 have increased 85% since the 1990s, with projections showing they could rise by 370% by mid-century. Delaware, one of the fastest-warming states in the country, is on the front lines.
The challenge in preventing heat-related illness is recognizing the risk before it becomes an emergency. In this episode, recorded ahead of Delaware's first official Heat Awareness Week (May 18–22, 2026), we're joined by ChristianaCare environmental health and sustainability manager Deanna Benner and ChristianaCare hospitalist and board-certified geriatrician Dr. Himabindu Lanka to talk about what extreme heat actually does to the body, who's most vulnerable and what clinicians, caregivers and community members can do to stay ahead of it.
Dr. Lanka walks through how to evaluate at-risk patients using a structured clinical framework, from medication reviews to subtle signs of dehydration that often get missed. Deanna shares practical guidance from her work as a women's health nurse practitioner and connects heat awareness to ChristianaCare's broader commitment to upstream, community-centered health.
Whether you're a clinician, a caregiver or someone looking out for a loved one this summer, this conversation is for you.
Deanna Benner, MSN, APRN, is ChristianaCare's environmental health and sustainability manager and president of the Mid-Atlantic Alliance for Climate and Health. A women's health nurse practitioner, she works to connect environmental health to clinical care and community well-being.
Himabindu Lanka, MD, FACP, FHM, is a hospitalist physician at ChristianaCare with board certification in internal medicine and geriatrics. Her clinical focus is on the intersection of aging, chronic disease and environmental health threats.
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