Hero Spotlight: Dr. Myles Sergeant
Photo credit Hamilton Health Services
Dr. Myles Sergeant is a family physician who has worked with vulnerable populations including people experiencing homelessness, addictions, and the elderly for over 25 years. He is the founding medical director of the Shelter Health Network of Hamilton and the director of Medically Complex Care at St Peter’s Hospital, Hamilton Health Sciences Corp.
In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Sergeant is the President of Trees for Hamilton, and the co-founder of PEACH Health Ontario (Partnerships for Environmental Action by Clinicians and Communities for Hospitals/Health care Facilities). The mission of PEACH is to cultivate partnerships across health facilities in Ontario to support climate action. This provincial initiative has been engaging and empowering those in the health sector to take climate action at their site. To achieve the ideal green health facility, PEACH collaborates with various sectors including procurement, food, education, energy management, pharmaceuticals and building design.
Trees for Hamilton has been planting native trees in areas of need with a goal of improving Hamilton’s long-term health. Now Myles is involved in another province-wide initiative that will see thousands of trees planted at hospitals and health facilities to honour and celebrate Ontario’s health workers over the next 5 to 10 years. This initiative is called Trees for Health Ontario and it is supported by Trees for Life under it’s Trees for Heroes program.
Why is Myles so passionate about trees, the environment, and their impact on health?
Myles developed his passion for trees over time while training for distance running competitions on the wooded trails in the forests and parks near his childhood home near Hamilton, ON. In retrospect, he realizes that he was receiving all the benefits of 'forest bathing' like stress relief and improved well-being, in addition to the fitness benefits of training. These benefits should be available to everyone in the community.
Given Myles’ profession, it is important to note that there is science-based proof to support the benefit of trees. “Evidence shows that access to nature and green spaces benefits both our mental and physical health. This includes improvements in stress levels, mood and self-esteem, obesity, blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, post-operative recovery, and children’s cognitive development.” As we know, trees also clean the air, and provide food and habitat for birds and wildlife. Planting a tree is also one of the easiest ways we can all help to combat climate change.
“In this project, we are bringing the forest to the patient. Hospitals are anchor institutions which have a vital presence in our communities. They should be beautiful, and they should be a place of rest and healing.”
“The Trees for Health Ontario project is about improving human health, tackling climate change, and honouring our health workers.” says Sergeant. “Our health workers have had a very difficult couple of years during the pandemic, and it’s important to recognize the work they do.”