Sustainability solutions for healthcare
Practice Greenhealth is the leading membership and networking organization for sustainable healthcare, delivering environmental solutions to hospitals and health systems across the United States and Canada.
See how we can help you:
Buildings
Promote green and healthy healthcare facility design, construction, renovation, and operations in order to minimize environmental impacts and foster restorative and sustainable healing environments.
Read moreChemicals
Work with healthcare to eliminate harmful chemicals or substitute them with safer alternatives while minimizing chemical exposure of patients, healthcare workers, communities, and the environment.
Read moreClimate and Health
Health systems and health professionals are implementing business-smart initiatives that also protect their communities from increased diseases and more frequent extreme weather events caused by climate change.
Read MoreEnergy
Accelerate the implementation of energy efficiency while promoting clean, renewable energy in healthcare, mobilizing the sector as a leader for a healthy energy future for all.
Read moreEngaged Leadership
Almost 90% of the top-performing institutions in our sustainability benchmark report have an executive-level champion at the top of the reporting structure.
Read moreFood
Promote, purchase, and serve sustainably grown, healthy food to improve environmental health, build better food systems, and address the upstream social and economic determinants of non-communicable diseases.
Read MoreGreening the OR
Though a tiny percentage of a hospital’s total physical footprint, operating rooms can drive big facilities’ cost savings and efficiency improvements through smart, incremental, sustainable practices.
Read MoreSustainable Procurement
Sustainability professionals and purchasing managers should work together to embed sustainability into purchasing processes and engage suppliers to provide innovative, sustainable products with a reduced impact on human health and the environment.
Read MoreTransportation
Promote transportation strategies for patients, their families, and staff that support healthier local and regional transport systems while reducing healthcare's environmental impact.
Read MoreWaste
Promote zero waste policies, reduce the volume and toxicity of waste produced by the healthcare sector, and implement safe, sustainable disposal options as alternatives to incineration.
Read MoreWater
Reducing water consumption is a great place for hospitals and health systems to start improving their environmental impact and sustainability practices.
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NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Practice Greenhealth announces 2026 Environmental Excellence Award recipients
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEPractice Greenhealth Announces 2026 Environmental Excellence Award RecipientsTop Hospitals Recognized for Sustainability Leadership as Healthcare Organizations Report Approximately $235 Million in Annual Savings June 3, 2026 – Practice Greenhealth, Health Care Without Harm's hospitals and health systems membership and networking organization for sustainable healthcare across the United States and Canada, today announced the recipients of its 2026 Environmental Excellence Awards, the nation’s highest recognition for healthcare organizations demonstrating leadership in sustainability, environmental stewardship, and climate resilience. This year, 430 partner organizations submitted sustainability data representing more than 700 healthcare facilities across the United States and Canada, making it the largest awards cycle in the program's history. In total, Practice Greenhealth is recognizing 430 healthcare organizations with 538 awards across 11 areas of sustainability.Key preliminary findings from participating organizations:• Participating organizations reported approximately $235 million in combined savings from environmental programs in 2025.• Projects focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions generated median annual savings of more than $77,000 per organization.• Pharmaceutical stewardship initiatives generated median annual savings of more than $75,000 per organization, while organizations working to reduce plastic use reported median annual savings of $61,000. • Medical device reprocessing and energy efficiency projects each generated median annual savings of approximately $48,000 per organization.• 99% of participating organizations reported having an executive sponsor for sustainability initiatives.• 99% have a dedicated sustainability professional at the hospital or health system level.• 73% have developed and published a strategic sustainability plan.• 97% have established sustainability targets and track progress through goals or key performance indicators.• 66% have set public sustainability goals.• 37% have strategic plans that explicitly include reducing greenhouse gas emissions. “The organizations recognized this year are proving that sustainability is a strategic imperative for healthcare,” said Gwyneth Jones, Senior Director at Practice Greenhealth, Health Care Without Harm. “By reducing emissions, cutting waste, strengthening resilience, and generating millions in savings, they are showing that the future of high-quality healthcare is one that protects people, communities, and the planet at the same time,” she added. A special acknowledgment goes to this year's inaugural Top Health System honorees, Providence and Mount Sinai, recognized among the top 5% of highest-scoring and highest-performing health systems.The Environmental Excellence Awards recognize healthcare organizations that are reducing their environmental footprint while improving resilience, operational efficiency, and community health. Notably, 16 of the top 20 hospitals ranked by U.S. News & World Report participate in the Practice Greenhealth awards program.2026 Top 25 Environmental Excellence Award Honorees: Advocate Christ Medical Center and Advocate Children's Hospital – Oak LawnAtlantic Health Chilton Medical CenterAtlantic Health Morristown Medical CenterBoston Medical CenterHackensack Meridian Bayshore Medical CenterHackensack Meridian Hackensack University Medical CenterHackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical CenterHackensack Meridian Ocean University Medical CenterHealthPartners Methodist HospitalHealthPartners Regions HospitalLucile Packard Children's Hospital StanfordProvidence St. Patrick HospitalProvidence Swedish Medical Center – BallardProvidence Swedish Medical Center – Cherry HillProvidence Swedish Medical Center – First HillProvidence Swedish Medical Center – IssaquahRonald Reagan UCLA Medical CenterRush University Medical CenterStanford Health CareStony Brook University HospitalThe University of Vermont Medical CenterUC Davis HealthUCI HealthUCLA Santa Monica Medical CenterUniversity of Michigan Health – Michigan MedicineThese organizations stand out for exemplary performance and innovation in sustainability, demonstrating that growing healthcare demand does not need to result in a growing burden on the climate.Access the full listAbout Health Care Without HarmHealth Care Without Harm is an international organization dedicated to providing resources, knowledge, and inspiration for the healthcare sector to help reduce its environmental impact. For the past three decades, we have been advocating for the environment and our health. Learn more at noharm.org About Practice GreenhealthPractice Greenhealth is the leading membership and networking organization for sustainable healthcare, delivering environmental solutions to hospitals and health systems across the United States and Canada. Learn more at practicegreenhealth.orgMedia contactMariana Abdallamabdalla@hcwh.org+55 21 99823 5563
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Updated Health Care Emission Impact Calculator
We’ve updated our free Health Care Emissions Impact Calculator to ensure your emissions calculations are as reliable as possible:Updated Scope 2 emissions factors to the 2023 EPA dataset (rev 2)Updated refrigerant GWP values to align with IPCC AR6 and added several newer, lower-GWP refrigerantsUpdated graphs on the Results and Summary tabsUpdated the reporting year inflation-adjusted tab to reflect updated supply chain emissions factorsFixed a calculation error for Category 3 upstream natural gas emissionsExpanded the Category 5 Waste tab with new Tables 4a/4b (user inputs for off-site landfilling after on-site treatment of RMW) and Table 5 (off-site incineration of RCRA-regulated materials and hazardous pharmaceuticals)Watch our 10 minute quickstart tutorial for a demonstration of the calculator’s new simplified features.
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How Coolfood data drives financial results
Beth Israel Lahey Health is demonstrating that sustainability initiatives can drive impressive fiscal returns. The Massachusetts health system knew that plant-forward dining options reduced greenhouse gas emissions, but without a way to measure the financial value, it was hard to convince decision-makers that climate-smart food is also smart business.With the support of Practice Greenhealth, a team at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston successfully developed a breakthrough cost-avoidance methodology using existing data from the Coolfood Pledge.They proved that prioritizing plant proteins is an effective cost-saving strategy, averaging more than 11% average cost avoidance in annual food spending since 2022. Over a seven-year period, the team also achieved a 19% reduction in the climate impact per meal.Jenny Arthur, head of Coolfood, highlights the importance of this development: "For years, the sustainability and health benefits of serving plant-rich meals have been clear – but translating those wins into financial language that resonates with CFOs has proved difficult. The BIDMC team developed a rigorous, validated methodology to make the business case for plant-rich meals in their own institutions, and any Coolfood signatory can use it to do the same."By adopting this strategy, hospitals can now quantify the business case for climate-smart dining.
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News & Updates
Mark your calendars for CleanMed 2027
Energized by the momentum generated by CleanMed 2026 in St. Louis, Health Care Without Harm and Practice Greenhealth are already hard at work planning CleanMed 2027 in Detroit, May 18-20. CleanMed is the premier national conference for leaders in healthcare sustainability and the epicenter of healthcare collaboration. What participants can look forward to at CleanMed 2027:40+ panels and workshops on mitigation, resilience, and sustainable procurementExecutive leadership insights designed for learning, collaboration, and actionActionable tools and proven frameworks to advance your sustainability goalsIn-person networking opportunities with 800+ attendees, exhibitors, and sponsorsEnvironmentally friendly event design and execution, including strategic waste minimization and sustainable catering Bookmark the CleanMed website to stay updated as more conference details emerge.
Read MoreHow Coolfood data drives financial results
Beth Israel Lahey Health is demonstrating that sustainability initiatives can drive impressive fiscal returns. The Massachusetts health system knew that plant-forward dining options reduced greenhouse...
Read MoreHow healthcare leaders are thinking about climate readiness in 2026
A ground-level perspective on how organizations are navigating the complex, often challenging realities of climate preparedness in 2026.
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Tools & Resources
Sustainable procurement guide
The guide provides step-by-step guidance, tools, and resources for health care organizations to develop a sustainable purchasing strategy that prioritizes community and environmental health and safety...
Learn MoreSustainability benchmark reports
Driven by member data submitted as part of the Environmental Excellence Awards each year, our sustainability benchmark reports provide a unique analysis on sustainability trends and emerging issues th...
Learn MoreAnesthetic gas toolkit
Practice Greenhealth is pleased to offer members a toolkit to help hospitals and health systems reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from anesthetic gases.
Learn MoreJoin Practice Greenhealth
Practice Greenhealth is the healthcare sector’s go-to source for information, tools, data, resources, and expert technical support on sustainability initiatives that help hospitals and health systems meet their health, financial, and community goals.
Who We Are
Practice Greenhealth is the leading sustainable healthcare organization, delivering environmental solutions to more than 1,500 hospitals and health systems in the United States and Canada. Partnership opportunities include hospitals, health systems, community health organizations, NGOs, nonprofits, government, academic institutions, and the healthcare value chain.