Announcements 2025 Environmental Excellence Awards: Applications now open

2025 Environmental Excellence Awards: Applications now open


Earn recognition for your sustainability program

Validate your hard work and share your successes with the Practice Greenhealth network by participating in the Environmental Excellence Awards program.

The data collected helps facilities…

Paul Bogart

A new chapter: Paul Bogart to depart as Executive Director of Health Care Without Harm and Practice Greenhealth


It is with a mix of sadness and gratitude that we announce Paul Bogart’s departure as Executive Director of Health Care Without Harm and Practice Greenhealth, effective summer 2025.

Since 2011, Paul has been a pivotal force in our…

Vehicular flood gates that protect the campus’ open perimeter facing the East River. (Mark Kauzlarich for Wall Street Journal)

Supercharge your climate resilience planning


Health care is on the front line of a widespread health crisis fueled by climate disruption – and the cutting edge of climate resilience planning.

Health Care Without Harm and Practice Greenhealth are ready to support hospitals and health…

Announcements Health Care Culinary Contest 2024

The Health Care Culinary Contest is back


Are you ready to join our champions?

Health care culinary professionals across the country are taking their menus to new levels in creativity and flavor, all powered by plants. The contest runs from Oct. 1 to Nov. 30. 

Elevate your hard…

Greenhealth Approved logo

New carpeting products now Greenhealth Approved and ready for purchase


The Greenhealth Approved seal was developed to make identifying sustainable products easier for health care product purchasers. Mohawk Group now has the Greenhealth Approved seal for their EcoFlex ONE carpeting. Products that carry the seal have…

Transforming health care: Sustainability success stories from the operating room


At Practice Greenhealth, we’re dedicated to coaching hospitals through their sustainability journey by targeting key areas like operating rooms. Anesthetic…

Blog Doctors Ted Schettler and Emily Sbiroli

Podcast pick: Doctors unpack the health care plastic crisis


Catch the latest episode of Fierce Healthcare: Podnosis, featuring two of our experts, Dr. Ted Schettler and Dr. Emily Sbiroli. They dive into the plastics crisis and how it’s impacting health care, and explore potential solutions and share real-…

Greenhealth Approved logo

New resilient flooring products now Greenhealth Approved and ready for purchase


The Greenhealth Approved seal was developed to make identifying sustainable products easier for health care product purchasers. ShawContract and Patcraft now have the Greenhealth Approved seal for their EcoWorx resilient flooring. Products that…

Plastic waste

New case study reveals supplier-health care collab to pare down plastic packaging, $2 million in savings


Hospitals produce more than 5 million tons of waste each year – and a vast portion of it comes from single-use plastics. Kaiser Permanente recognized this challenge as an opportunity to leverage its purchasing power and influence its suppliers to…

Announcements Recipe database

Health Care Culinary Contest recipe database


Want to take your menus to new levels in creativity and flavor?

Since 2017, health care culinary professionals across the country have taken their menus to new levels in creativity and flavor through our Health Care Culinary Contest. Now, we’ve…

Announcements HCEIC

Improved Health Care Emission Impact Calculator, plus new action plan template


Improved Health Care Emission Impact Calculator and resources to support your GHG emissions reduction journey

We are excited to present the new Health Care Emissions Impact…

Announcements Chef Millben 2024 culinary contest winner social card

Announcing the 2023 Health Care Culinary Contest winner


Join us in celebrating the grand prize winner of the 2023 Health Care Culinary Contest: Mayo Clinic’s three sisters blue zone tacos.

Chef Michael Millben from Mayo Clinic brought healing and health together, combining the blue zone diet…

Photo of Thresa Pattee's mother accepting the 2024 Environmental Health Hero Award on Thresa's behalf

Honoring our own: Thresa Pattee, Health Care Without Harm’s 2024 Environmental Health Hero


Thresa Pattee, our beloved colleague, friend, and posthumous recipient of our 2024 Environmental Health Hero Award

Each year, we…

Announcements

2024 Stephanie Davis Waste Reduction and Pollution Prevention Award recipients


The Stephanie Davis Waste Reduction and Pollution Prevention Award and Scholarship is an enduring tribute to Davis, who worked with Health Care Without Harm at its inception in 1996. Davis was a tireless champion of the movement toward…

Announcements 2024 Awards

Practice Greenhealth celebrates 2024 Environmental Excellence Award winners


Practice Greenhealth is proud to announce the winners of the 2024 Environmental Excellence Awards, recognizing leading U.S. hospitals for their exceptional commitment to sustainability. This year's Top 25, which includes both large, urban medical…

Announcements Top 5 meals

Hospital chefs bring plant-forward creativity to the finish line


Finalists revealed, winner to be announced at CleanMed

Hospital chefs across the country submitted their plant-forward recipes to the 2023…

CleanMed 2024

Participate in CleanMed in person or online


It’s not too late to register for CleanMed May 21-23 in Salt Lake City. Participate in sessions led by experts from across the country at the forefront of cutting-edge research and…

Introducing the Climate Excellence Standard for Health Sector Suppliers


Cencora first supplier to meet new standard

Health Care Without Harm and Practice Greenhealth, along with their Health Care Climate Council, announced the creation of a…

Announcements

One healthcare ecochallenge: An employee engagement opportunity to build healthy & sustainable habits


Practice Greenhealth partners Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, and PeaceHealth have joined ecochallenge.org for a second year to offer an exciting engagement initiative designed specifically for health care…

Blog Health Care Climate Learning Initiative

How hospitals in 17 countries are tackling decarbonization & resilience, saving them $15M


38 case studies & guidance on sustainable health care

“It’s very exciting to be part of a strategy that is so ambitious and future thinking. It inspires us as health care workers to play our part in helping our…

Announcements Sustainability Benchmark Data

Practice Greenhealth releases latest sustainability benchmark data


We are pleased to share Practice Greenhealth’s latest sustainability benchmark report, based on data from the 2022 calendar year.

The 370 hospitals that contributed data collectively saved more than $197.4 million on sustainability…

Events Destination CleanMed webinar series

Health care supply chain 101: Leveraging the power of procurement


Join this Destination CleanMed session to gain a better understanding of how purchasing occurs at health systems and strategies for effectively engaging supply chain departments. Then hear from…

Events Feb 13

How health systems plan for resilience


This Partner-only session will summarize key lessons gathered from Practice Greenhealth partners on the most effective ways to write climate resilience plans in alignment with the HHS Health Sector Climate Pledge. Planners from Beth Israel…

Announcements 2025 Environmental Excellence Awards

The 2024 Environmental Excellence Award applications are open


Validate your hard work and continue making the business case for sustainability initiatives by participating in Practice Greenhealth’s Environmental Excellence Awards program.

The awards application process and resulting benchmark report…

Announcements CleanMed 2024, Salt Lake City

CleanMed 2024 registration is now open


CleanMed will bring us together May 21-23 in Salt Lake City to connect, share, and build upon solutions for a more sustainable health care sector. As the premier health care sustainability conference, CleanMed offers the strategies, tools, and…

Events GHG emissions image

On-demand videos help partners conduct a GHG inventory


Following the successful launch of our Health Care Emissions Impact Calculator, Practice Greenhealth hosted monthly workshops to walk…

Sectors unite to create a values-based food purchasing framework


Anchors in Action alliance recently released a framework aimed at helping hospitals, schools, universities, and municipal governments identify vendors and community partners for increasing values-aligned food procurement. The framework served as…

Announcements Health Care Culinary Contest collage of champions

The Health Care Culinary Contest is back


Are you ready to join our champions?

Health care culinary professionals across the country are taking their menus to new levels in creativity and flavor, all powered by plants. This year’s contest is streamlined for easier participation.

IRA incentives for health care

New IRA investment tax credit opportunities & elective pay options


The historic Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has the potential to significantly reduce the financial barriers for health systems to procure low-carbon energy alternatives by providing substantial incentives in the form of tax credits and elective…

Events Graphic of a calendar icon with date Sept 12

Free webinar: Co-designing with communities on climate resilience planning


Free webinar: Co-designing with communities on climate resilience planning 

Health Care Without Harm, Anchors for Resilient Communities, and Emerald Cities Collaborative are hosting a…

Announcements Health Care Climate Learning Initiative

Health Care Climate Learning Initiative


Reducing emissions & increasing resilience: Learning from each others’ experiences

Together with our partners around the world, Health Care Without Harm convened representatives from 98 health care organizations spanning 20 countries to…

Announcements CleanMed 2024, Salt Lake City

Help shape the next CleanMed - Deadline extended


Help shape the next CleanMed

CleanMed 2024 will bring us back together May 21-23 in Salt Lake City to connect, share, and build upon solutions for a more sustainable health care sector – and we want your help.

CleanMed is the premier…

Announcements Graphic of a dish and the text: over 100 hospitals has signed the Coolfood pledge.

One hundred hospitals pledge to create climate-friendly, plant-forward menus


One hundred hospitals pledge to create climate-friendly, plant-forward menus

Practice Greenhealth is celebrating a…

Events CO2 emission reduction graphic

Developing a complete Scope 3 inventory & action plan


Developing a complete Scope 3 inventory & action plan

Join us August 3, 2023 2:00 PM ET

Learn how to develop a comprehensive Scope 3 emissions inventory for your organization and create an action plan to reduce Scope 3 emissions.…

Blog

2023 Stephanie Davis Waste Reduction and Pollution Prevention Award recipients


The Stephanie Davis Waste Reduction and Pollution Prevention Award and Scholarship is an enduring tribute to Davis, who worked with Health Care Without Harm at its inception in 1996. Davis was a tireless champion of the movement toward…

Blog Katie Huffling and Charlotte Brody award winner Sarah Wilburn pose during the CleanMed conference

Sarah Wilburn honored with 2023 Charlotte Brody Award for environmental nursing leadership


Health Care Without Harm and the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments annually present the Charlotte Brody Award to a nurse who promotes and protects environmental health.

The 2023 honoree, Susan Wilburn, BSc Nursing, MPH, is a…

Proven practices for sustainability governance in health care: Structure & staffing


By Sarah Irwin, Practice Greenhealth sustainability strategy manager

To unlock sustainability’s full impact, leaders must design their organizational structure, processes, and governance in a way that is integrated into and compatible with…

Blog Sarah Dalton

What I learned about sustainability as an administrative fellow at HonorHealth


By Sarah Dalton, HonorHealth administrative fellow

Pursuing organizational sustainability can seem daunting – it is complex, takes time, and the upfront costs can feel like a barrier to entry. As an administrative fellow at HonorHealth, I…

Events Save the date for June 27

New food resources can reduce your hospital’s climate impact


Practice Greenhealth’s new guidance & proven resources offer recipe for success at your hospital

Practice Greenhealth has expanded and updated our food guidance and resources and is…

Announcements Comment period | The Joint Commission

The Joint Commission seeks feedback on new Environmental Sustainability requirements


The Joint Commission is developing new Environmental Sustainability requirements for the Hospital (HAP) and Critical Access Hospital (CAH) programs to address leadership, measurement, actions, and evaluation. The Joint Commission is seeking feedback…

Blog This image shows the name of the story series, "Partners in promoting health and equity: Stories of health care and community," and thumbnail photos for each story

7 inspiring films & stories of hospital-community collaboration


Health Care Without Harm's new film and story series, "Partners in promoting health and equity: Stories of health care and community," explores how health care organizations can drive community collaboration and enrich the health and well-being…

Blog Woman with a baby on her back in an outdoor setting near mountains next to a young boy

Use Earth Day to take steps toward building a culture of sustainability


By Kate Gottlieb, Practice Greenhealth sustainability strategy manager 

I grew up in a temperate rainforest on the boundary of the Olympic National Park and the Quinault Indian Reservation in Washington. I have witnessed and experienced…

Events Partner Forum

First industry partner forum of 2023


Learn and network with affiliate premium partners 

Join Practice Greenhealth on March 1 at 11:00 a.m. ET for our first partner forum of the year featuring 3M and Accenture.

These quarterly, interactive education and networking events…

Announcements Sustainability Benchmark Data

Practice Greenhealth releases latest sustainability benchmark data


We are pleased to share Practice Greenhealth’s latest sustainability benchmark report, based on data from the 2021 calendar year.

The 345 hospitals that submitted data demonstrated that a focus on environmental stewardship can help…

Events Virtual Grand Rounds image

Climate-smart pharmacy: A prescription for a healthier planet


Join two pharmacists and a physician on Feb. 16 at 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT to learn about the climate impact of pharmaceuticals, including metered dose inhalers, along with opportunities for health professionals to promote climate-smart pharmacy…

Events Virtual cohort groups

New virtual cohorts begin next month


Practice Greenhealth’s virtual cohorts have been facilitating meaningful dialogue among groups of sustainability and health care professionals for over six years. We continue to drive change in the health care community by bringing together peers…

Events CleanMed 2023

We're getting together in Pittsburgh for CleanMed


Join us May 23-25 in Pittsburgh at CleanMed 2023 as we connect, share, and build upon solutions for a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable health care sector.

As the premier health care sustainability conference, CleanMed offers the…

Events Partner Forum

Last Affiliate Premium Partner Forum of 2022


Learn and network with new affiliate premium partners

Join Practice Greenhealth on December 8 at 11:00 a.m. ET for our last partner forum of the year featuring GE HealthCare and Johnson & Johnson.

These quarterly, interactive…

Blog Chef Jess featured in Plant-Forward Future recipe demos

8 recipes and video demos to inspire your Plant-Forward Future


We teamed up with chefs Jessica Wright, director of healthy food in institutions for Nourish Colorado, and Andre Uribe, founder of Sustainable Meals Oregon, to create recipes and film demo videos for eight mouthwatering, plant-forward dishes. …

Blog

Meet the team: Matt Pietro


Matt Pietro has served Practice Greenhealth as sustainability strategy manager since February 2022. Learn about his proudest moment at Practice Greenhealth, who is on his A-team, and why he looks forward to Halloween.

Who is on your A-team…

Blog

Partner perspective: HonorHealth Scottsdale Thompson Peak Medical Center


Ryan Kirane Assistant vice president of operations and sustainability officer at HonorHealth Scottsdale Thompson Peak Medical Center

Number of beds: 120

Number of FTE: 615

HonorHealth Scottsdale Thompson…

Events 2022 Health Care Culinary Contest banner

Start your ovens: The Health Care Culinary Contest is back


 

Health care culinary professionals across the country are taking their menus to new levels in creativity and flavor, all powered by plants

Health Care Without Harm and…

Blog solar panels

The Inflation Reduction Act brings new opportunities for health care’s climate action


President Biden recently signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the strongest U.S. climate action ever, with $369 billion in strategic investments over the next ten years to drive the growth of clean energy and cut the nation’s carbon…

Announcements Colorado beans

VIDEO: Colorado beans from field to tray


Plant-Forward Future is helping hospitals and other institutions purchase and serve healthy, locally-sourced beans and bean products to…

Blog Brian Nelson stands on a beach with dog

Partner perspective: PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center


 

Brian Nelson Sustainability programs manager at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center

Number of beds: 450 licensed (386 staffed)

Number of FTE: 4,925

PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center’s…

Events Virtual Grand Rounds

Sustainable ophthalmology: Eye care with a vision for climate-smart surgery


Join us for the next Grand Round Series event | Sustainable ophthalmology: Eye care with a vision for climate-smart surgery

In this session moderated by ENT surgeon Dr. Neelu Tummala, ophthalmologists will discuss the environmental impact of…

Events Premium Partner Event, 6-22, Web Update

Affiliate Premium Partner Forum


Learn and network with new affiliate premium partners

Join Practice Greenhealth at 11 a.m. ET, 8 a.m. PT June 22 for our second partner forum of 2022 with affiliate premium partners Medline and Schneider Electric. 

These quarterly,…

Announcements 2021 culinary contest winner social card

Announcing the winner of the Health Care Culinary Contest


We are excited to announce the winner and ask you to join us in celebrating the winner, finalists, and all the participants.

The grand prize winner of the 2021 Health Care Culinary Contest is: UW Health’s Afghan-style vegetable…

Blog

Celebrating the 2022 Climate and Health Innovation Award recipient


The Climate and Health Innovation Award recognizes a hospital or health system for innovative work that addresses the health and equity impacts of climate change. Health Care Without Harm’s…

Blog

Mitchell named Health Care Without Harm’s 2022 Environmental Health Hero


Harold Mitchell, ReGenesis Community Development Corporation founder and executive director, is the recipient of Health Care Without Harm’s highest honor, the 2022 Environmental Health Hero Award. Mitchell is being honored for his leadership in…

Blog

Dr. Kathy Murphy honored with 2022 Charlotte Brody Award for environmental nursing leadership


Health Care Without Harm and the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments are proud to present Dr. Kathy Murphy with the 2022 Charlotte Brody…

Announcements Plant Powered 30 feature image

Plant Powered 30: A fun, new employee engagement activity


Spring is upon us and it's the perfect time to celebrate the delicious bounty of the season. Plant Powered 30 is a 30-day challenge to inspire your employees to choose a plant-…

Blog

Celebrating the 2022 Emerging Physician Leader Award and Sadler Fellowship recipients


The Emerging Physician Leader Award, established by the Health Care Without Harm Physician Network in 2018, recognizes medical students, residents, and fellows who have demonstrated a passion for sustainable health care or a commitment to climate…

Blog

Celebrating the 2022 Stephanie Davis Waste Reduction and Pollution Prevention Award recipients


The Stephanie Davis Waste Reduction and Pollution Prevention Award and Scholarship is an enduring tribute to Davis, who worked with Health Care Without Harm at its inception in 1996. Davis was a tireless champion of the movement toward…

Announcements Sustainable procurement insights

Sustainable procurement insights


We need opinions from health care procurement and supply chain professionals. Health care sustainability is changing more quickly than ever before, as are how procurement and supply chain professionals are seeking guidance and learning…

Events CleanMed 2022 student quotes

Students, jumpstart your career in sustainable health care at CleanMed


Calling all health professional students, are you ready to jumpstart your career in sustainable health care? CleanMed is the premier national conference for leaders in health care sustainability – both current and future. 

Welcoming the next…

Events

Welcoming clinician leaders to CleanMed


Calling all doctors, nurses, and other health professionals – you are invited to the annual CleanMed conference in Kansas City May 10-12, 2022. CleanMed…

Events CleanMed 2022 procurement image

Level up your sustainable procurement at CleanMed


At CleanMed 2022 May 10-12 in Kansas City, explore how health care’s collective purchasing power can shape the marketplace, increase demand for sustainable products,…

Events CleanMed 2022 climate image

Join your fellow climate champions at CleanMed


2022 is the year we accelerate the decarbonization of health care. And CleanMed 2022 offers the strategies we need for moving from commitment to action to impact.…

Events CleanMed 2022 food image

Cook up climate action at CleanMed


Food service is a powerful but often untapped lever with the potential to improve patient and community health, address diet-related disease, reduce carbon footprints, and build community wealth and resilience. At …

CleanMed 2022

We’re getting together in Kansas City for CleanMed


CleanMed 2022 – the premier event for leaders in health care sustainability – will bring us back together in person May 10-12 in Kansas City. After a challenging couple of years, we can’t wait to convene, connect, share, and build on…

Blog

Partner perspective: UCHealth


 

John Drigot and Lajju Sudhakar Sustainability coordinator and Business manager for support services at UCHealth

Number of beds: 1,997 beds

Number of FTE: 26,080

UCHealth's sustainability…

Blog

Practice Greenhealth grows to over 1,400 hospitals


A 2020 Boston Consulting Group (BCG) survey of more than 3,000 people across eight countries has found that in the wake of the pandemic, people are now more concerned – not less – about addressing environmental challenges and are more committed…

Blog

Welcoming new industry partners


We previously announced the expansion of the Practice Greenhealth network to industry partners by inviting value chain partners like manufacturers, suppliers, service providers, government agencies, nonprofits, and higher education to join.…

Announcements 2021 top 5 culinary contest finalists photo collage

5 hospital chefs compete for gold with plant-forward recipes


Finalists revealed, winner to be announced at CleanMed 2022

The 2021 Health Care Culinary Contest broke new barriers for plant-forward cooking, and our five…

Announcements Virtual Grand Rounds

Grand rounds series: The path to climate-smart, net-zero emissions health care


Presented by Health Care Without Harm in partnership with the Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education, this five-part virtual grand rounds series explores strategies to reduce health care emissions and features the leadership of climate…

Events Premium Partner Event, Web Update

Affiliate Premium Partner Forum


Learn and network with new affiliate premium partners

Join Practice Greenhealth on March 9 at 11:00 a.m. ET as we kick off our 2022 partner forum series with B. Braun, Stericycle, and other affiliate premium partners. These quarterly,…

Announcements Scope 3 GHG accounting tool image

Scope 3 GHG Emissions Accounting Tool released


To further assist our partner health systems and hospitals calculate their value chain emissions impact and identify where to focus reduction activities, we are pleased to release the Scope 3 GHG Emissions Accounting…

Events Destination CleanMed 2022 Series

Destination CleanMed Series: Climate-smart health system strategies


The Destination CleanMed series features discussions building momentum that will culminate in Kansas City May 10-12 for CleanMed 2022. Register now and invite your colleagues, collaborators, and partners to this free event.

 

Join us March…

Events

Cool Food Pledge information session (Free)


Find out more about the Cool Food Pledge in a free, 30-minute information session. Tuesday, February 22 at 1:00 p.m. ET (10:00 a.m. PT)

Over 40 Practice Greenhealth partners have committed to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions from food…

Announcements New data guidance

New resources to support data quality 


Practice Greenhealth has been collecting sustainability performance data from hospitals and health systems for over 20 years. As sustainability expectations have evolved, Practice Greenhealth continues to refine the data and metrics we utilize to…

Announcements Environmental Excellence Awards

Environmental Excellence Awards application deadline extended


UPDATE: Environmental Excellence award application deadline extended to May 4, 2022. Earn the recognition you deserve Validate your hard work and continue making the business case for sustainable operations by participating in the Environmental…

Announcements Connecting through cohorts

New virtual cohorts starting next month


Practice Greenhealth’s virtual cohorts have been facilitating meaningful dialogue among groups of sustainability and health care professionals for over five years. We continue to orchestrate change in the health care community by bringing…

Announcements CleanMed 2022

CleanMed 2022 registration is open


CleanMed 2022 is going to Kansas City, Missouri, May 10-12. After a challenging couple of years for the health care sector and the planet, we’re ready to get back together. Even though the pandemic has fundamentally changed the health care…

Announcements Pandemic perspective

New Pandemic perspective shares insights on health care sustainability


The COVID-19 pandemic upended health care and continues to have lasting impacts on the way we deliver care. It brought significant shifts in hospital operations, from shutting down elective surgeries and reducing food service to dealing with…

Blog Matt Cox

Partner perspective: Spectrum Health (Part 2 of 2)


 

Matt Cox CFO at Spectrum Health

Number of beds: 2,522 beds

Number of FTE: 31,000

Part two

Matt Cox has served as Spectrum Health’s CFO and the executive sponsor for the system’s sustainability…

Press Releases Shaw Contract | Patcraft

Shaw Industries’ commercial brands receive sustainability seal-of-approval


Patcraft & Shaw Contract become first flooring manufacturers with resilient and carpet tile products with Greenhealth Approved Seal

Today, Practice Greenhealth announced Shaw Industries’ commercial brands – Patcraft and Shaw Contract – as…

Blog Doctors shaking hands with colleagues and partners

New Practice Greenhealth network industry partner opportunities


As the voice of sustainability in health care, Practice Greenhealth is ideally positioned to help our hospital partners meet challenges and capture opportunities facing our ever-changing industry.

We believe health care is everyone's…

Announcements 2020's winning recipe adobo de la tierra with the Health Care Culinary Contest logo

Seeking America’s next top hospital chef


Ready to amp up your sales and customer satisfaction while reducing your environmental impact? Then the Health Care Culinary Contest – which opens Oct. 1 – is the perfect addition to your sustainability work. This year’s contest builds on the…

Blog Matt Cox

Partner perspective: Spectrum Health (Part 1 of 2)


 

Matt Cox CFO at Spectrum Health

Number of beds: 2,522 beds

Number of FTE: 31,000

Part one

Matt Cox has served as Spectrum Health’s CFO and the executive sponsor for the system’s sustainability…

Blog Chris Bodkin presenting

Meet the team: Christopher Bodkin


Christopher Bodkin lives in rural New Hampshire and has served Practice Greenhealth as a data coordinator since 2013. Get his take on the importance of adopting a circular mindset, how data can drive a successful sustainability program, and his…

Press Releases Environmental Excellence Awards

Practice Greenhealth announces 2021 Environmental Excellence Award winners


Practice Greenhealth is excited to announce the recipients of this year's Environmental Excellence Awards, recognizing health care facilities across the country that have maintained and strengthened their commitment to sustainability amidst a…

Blog Reusable gown infographic

UCLA Health hero ensures PPE supply during pandemic & beyond


Victor Mitry is called a “hero” because, thanks to his forethought, health care workers at the University of California Los Angeles Health did not experience a shortage of isolation gowns during the pandemic. Now his innovative strategy is…

Blog Montefiore Health System's first centralized collection area

Montefiore shares tips for reducing e-waste & GHG emissions while saving money


 

 

Michael Matos

Michael Matos, green initiative liaison for Montefiore Health System, has 15 years of experience in healthcare and six years in waste management. He’s been responsible for creating, implementing,…

Blog Dustin Maddy

Partner perspective: CentraCare St. Cloud Hospital


 

Dustin Maddy Sustainability Program Analyst at Centra Care St. Cloud Hospital 

Number of beds: 489 licensed beds (309) 798 total

Number of FTE: 13,000 + 15,000 volunteers

Dustin Maddy has served…

Announcements Power of procurement

12 health systems shift procurement strategies to address economic, racial & environmental disparities


The 12 health systems announced signing the Impact Purchasing Commitment (IPC) to build healthy, equitable, and climate-resilient local economies through how they spend their dollars. The commitment directs health care purchasing toward…

Announcements

May 26: The health care sector joins the Race to Zero campaign


On May 26, Health Care Without Harm, in collaboration with the UN’s Climate Champions, will launch the Race to Zero campaign for health care, showcasing institutions from six continents that have joined the Race to Zero. 

These hospitals…

Announcements Social image for immunization project

Protection without pollution: COVID-19 waste-reduction strategies


The world is undertaking the largest immunization campaign in history to fight COVID-19. Billions will be vaccinated in the coming years, which is generating an unprecedented amount of waste. If we plan ahead, we can minimize the impact and waste…

Announcements Noriel, his dish, and a sign celebrating both

Announcing the winner of the 2020 Health Care Culinary Contest


The 2020 Health Care Culinary Contest kicked off in October, challenging hospital chefs to embrace the #PlantForwardFuture with their own original creations.  

We…

Blog Suzanne Savanick Hansen

Partner perspective: Abbott Northwestern Hospital


Suzanne Savanick Hansen Environmental Sustainability Specialist at Allina Health

Number of beds: 605

Number of FTE: 5,579

Suzanne Savanick Hansen has served Abbott Northwestern Hospital as the environmental…

Blog Hillary Greenwood

Meet the team: Hillary Greenwood


Hillary Greenwood has served Practice Greenhealth as director of advisory services since 2019. Prior to this role, she spent a decade in various roles in the organization. Greenwood lives in southwest Michigan with her husband and young son. Read…

Announcements Plant-Forward Future PG slider 1140 x 743

11 hospital food champions told us what plant-forward means to them


We asked 11 hospital food champions what plant-forward means to them. Hear their thoughts on shaping a #PlantForwardFuture and check out 32 resources for chefs and food service pros.

Nina Curtis, Adventist…

Editorial Anchors in Resilient Communities

Supporting resilient communities, one meal at a time


[Medium] Fabio Edwards said working at Dig Deep Farms — a Bay Area-based nonprofit in California…

Announcements CleanMed Virtual Recorded Sessions

6 CleanMed virtual sessions recordings now available


The CleanMed Virtual Series featured six interactive webinars designed for those passionate about resilience in health care to connect and innovate. If you were unable to attend the sessions live, or if you would like to view and share any – or…

Announcements

Changes to Environmental Excellence Awards


2020 has been a year of immense turmoil, placing unprecedented pressure on our health care providers. To support our members, Practice Greenhealth revised our Environmental Excellence Awards process.

For the 2021 awards season, we are…

Blog Kate Gottlieb

Meet the team: Kate Gottlieb


Kate Gottlieb has served as a Practice Greenhealth sustainability strategy manager since February. She lives in Yakima, Washington. Learn about what prompted her to work on environmental sustainability initiatives and how she went from hunting…

Announcements Alison Santore headshot

Santore selected for 2020 leadership award


Practice Greenhealth’s Visionary Leader Award annually recognizes a senior-level health care executive who has effectively advocated for and woven sustainability and environmental stewardship into health care operations through innovative…

Announcements Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center building

3-time Greening the OR champ saves $1 million


For the third year in a row, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) received Practice Greenhealth’s Greening the OR Leadership Award for their industry-leading, comprehensive program, which reduces the environmental impact of MSK’s surgical…

Announcements Greenhealth Approved

The new seal for sustainable health care purchasing


Purchasing made easy

Hospitals utilize thousands of products each day, and many factors drive these product selections. Some products have lengthy supply chains involving many different manufacturers, complicating the decision-making process.…

Editorial Sustainable procurement guide

11 hospitals healing health care through sustainable purchasing


More than 70% of a health system’s greenhouse gas emissions are embedded in the products and services they buy. As a resource-intensive…

Announcements Sustainable procurement guide

Your new guide for sustainable procurement


As a resource-intensive industry with enormous buying power, health facilities are prioritizing sustainable procurement both for financial sustainability and for the benefit of their patients, staff, community, and planet. 

The COVID-19…

Editorial

How to reduce waste during a pandemic


By Keith Edgerton

Seeking ways to reduce waste during a pandemic may feel like an impossible or unimportant task, but it is more important than ever. Greenhouse gas emissions from waste represent 1-5% percent of U.S. emissions, and hospitals produce an average of…

Editorial PPE

Resourceful PPE strategies bridged the gap, now hospitals seek sustainable solutions


By Julie Moyle

Practice Greenhealth member Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, Washington, was among the first hospitals to receive and treat COVID-19 patients.

They used more personal protective equipment (PPE) in two months in early 2020 than…

Announcements top 25 sustainable hospitals

25 hospitals setting the standard for sustainability in health care


 

Practice Greenhealth announced the 2020 recipients of the Top 25 Environmental Excellence Awards, the most prestigious environmental achievement for health care.

Including the Top 25, Practice Greenhealth recognized 421 health…

Announcements CleanMed virtual series

Virtual session recording: Building community health and resilience beyond COVID-19


Resilience virtual session  |  Recorded May 27, 2 p.m. EST

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the vast inequities and vulnerabilities across health care, supply chains, and our communities. Now more than ever, we are seeing the importance of…

Editorial Health Care Workers

COVID-19 update


We recognize the burden our community is under. Many of you are on the front lines of this unfolding crisis caring for people with COVID-19. From all the staff at Practice Greenhealth and Health Care Without Harm, thank you for your tireless work…

Editorial Blue wrap recycling

OR nurses repurpose blue wrap for those in need


University of Chicago Health staff went above and beyond when they tackled the ever-growing pile of blue wrap coming out of their surgery department. Challenged with luke-warm recycling markets, Amber Kratochvil, operating room associate director…

Announcements Earth Day

Earth Day 2020: Show and tell


April 22 is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, and this year’s theme is climate action. There is no better time to raise our collective voice and show the world how health care leads on climate to protect health. No matter what your role may be…

Editorial 2019 food trends

2019 health care food trends


Plant-forward is here to stay

Hospitals throughout the nation are serving less meat and a plethora of gourmet plant-forward meals that would be could be found in the menu at a high-end, trendy restaurant.…

Editorial hospital fleet emissions

Driving down emissions through fleet strategy


Our cars, our health

The American Lung Association’s 19th annual “state of the air” report found that 134 million Americans – more than 41% – lived in…

Editorial Practice Greenhealth staff

Taking Practice Greenhealth on the road


By Scott Rich

By Scott Rich, Practice Greenhealth marketing and growth associate director

Over the summer months and into autumn, I had the opportunity to get up close and personal with Practice Greenhealth partners, prospects, and…

Announcements culinary contest

Win a trip to Orlando with the Culinary Contest


 

Ready to amp up your sales and customer satisfaction while simultaneously reducing your environmental impact? Then the Health Care Culinary Contest – which opens October 1 –  is the perfect addition to your sustainability work…

Editorial hospital parking

What happens when you pay employees not to park?


Long commutes. Congested roads. No available parking. These are familiar headaches for staff, patients, and administration at almost every hospital and health care facility, including St. John’s Medical and Living Center in Jackson, Wyo. A…

Editorial Shanda

On the road - and the boardwalk - with HealthPartners


By Shanda Demorest

By Shanda Demorest, Practice Greenhealth member engagement manager

The ask. Long before I joined Practice Greenhealth in May 2019, Karoline Sperling at Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park, Minn., heard I was a nurse looking to…

Announcements Health care climate footprint

Global health care sector is a major contributor to the climate crisis


New report provides first-ever estimate of health care’s global climate footprint, calls for zero emissions

If the global health care sector were a country, it would be the fifth-largest greenhouse gas emitter…

Greenbeat blog

Regions Hospital shows how contest can spice up sustainability work


Chef Michael White is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and has been a chef with Sodexo for more than 15 years. White cooks for Regions Hospital in Minnesota. 

The Health Care Culinary…

Blog Julie Moyle

Meet the team: Julie Moyle


Julie Moyle has served Practice Greenhealth as a member engagement manager since 2015. She lives in Golden, Colo., where she is also an OR nurse. Learn about her proudest moment at Practice Greenhealth, her thoughts on emerging issues in…

Editorial Hackensack Meridian Health

Guided by the philosophy of ‘why’


One man’s justification for sustainable procurement

Kunle Modupe, Hackensack Meridian Health’s vice president for hospitality services, hasn’t spent a lifetime in health care. In fact, it was during his 22-year career in the luxury hotel…

Editorial Arbor Day

New tree planting program for hospitals


Health care promoting healthy cities by planting trees

Studies show that patients who have a view of trees spend fewer days in the hospital than patients…

Editorial Mayo Clinic

On the road: From the stage to the utility plant at Mayo Clinic’s Rochester campus


This living wall covers an impressive amount of space giving occupants a moment and area of respite.

 

By Iqbal Mian, Practice Greenhealth member engagement manager

Being in driving proximity to the Mayo…

Announcements UW Health

UW Health lowers energy intensity by 25%


UW Health quietly pushed forward since its 2017’s big achievement in LEED Gold for the American Center, a first for Wisconsin and one of 17 in the United States. Commitments to continue conservation have increased with formal targets in water…

Announcements UC San Francisco's roots and shoots meal

For hospitals, ‘plant-forward’ means big sales and a cooler planet


By John Stoddard

“I don’t sell plant-based, I sell delicious looking and tasting food that just happens to be plant-based.” – Dan Henroid, University of California San Francisco Medical Center   

Dan Henroid knows that…

Announcements Barbara Tretheway Visionary Award winner

Maximizing the role of governance in environmental stewardship strategy


 

Practice Greenhealth’s 2019 Visionary Leader Award winner Barbara Tretheway arrived at HealthPartners in 2000 wanting to make a difference at work and in the community.   As general counsel, much of her focus was on governance…

Announcements Shanda Demorest

Meet the team: Shanda Demorest


 

Shanda Demorest joined Practice Greenhealth as a member engagement manager in May 2019. She lives in Minneapolis. Find out what she bought with her very first paycheck, how nursing prepared her for…

Announcements

Practice Greenhealth offers members report cards to enhance goal-setting


“Thanks to the data analyzed through the awards platform at Practice Greenhealth, we're in a healthier position to categorically mitigate the various wastes associated with health care operations, while improving patient and community health.…

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Memorial Sloan Kettering saves big, is honored for achievements


The surgery department is sometimes referred to as the soul or epicenter of a hospital for a number of reasons: It can bring in up to 60% of a facility’s revenue, and the reputation of the operating room is often tied directly to the…

Blog Thresa Pattee

Meet the team: Thresa Pattee


Thresa Pattee has served Practice Greenhealth as a member engagement manager since 2018 and as the food program coordinator for Healthy Food in Health Care and Practice Greenhealth for two years prior. Discover her favorite volunteer…

Press Releases Top 25 Winners

Leading U.S. hospitals recognized for their sustainability commitment


Practice Greenhealth is excited to announce this year’s recipients of the Top 25 Environmental Excellence Awards, the most prestigious environmental achievement for health care. These facilities exemplify the highest standards for environmental…

Announcements

Local doctor-farmer gives a foodie tour of Nashville


 

CleanMed is right around the corner and this year, national leaders in health care sustainability will gather in Nashville to inspire change and discuss strategies for solving…

Blog

Sutter Health and Practice Greenhealth gather for healthier environments visioning


 

Dr. Stephen Lockhart, Sutter Health’s chief medical officer and executive sponsor for sustainability, highlighted the health system’s priority focus areas.  

By Janet…

Announcements

Practice Greenhealth offers pharmaceutical disposal guidance


There is increased concern over pharmaceuticals in waterways. There are “no drugs down the drain” rules in certain states. And harm can come from unauthorized access to controlled substances and the resulting wastage. Health care facilities must…

Blog

Practice Greenhealth member saves money with sustainable office supplies


Dignity Health supply chain and sustainability staff worked collaboratively with Staples, their office supply distributor, to improve the use of more sustainable office supplies throughout their network. The results of this initiative…

Blog Food

Everyday food heroes


Food Day is an annual event on Oct. 24 that inspires Americans to change not only their diets but also our food system. But for hospitals in our network, it’s Food Day every day. Food service directors, chefs, nutritionists, and other hospital…

In the News Boston Medical Center rooftop garden

USA Today: Practice Greenhealth members prove business case for sustainability


Practice Greenhealth members were featured in “A profitable…

Announcements CleanMed

Former EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy to join sustainability leaders at CleanMed


 

Gina McCarthy, former EPA administrator, professor at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and director of the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment, has accepted our invitation to be the keynote speaker…

In the News

PBS highlights Practice Greenhealth members' climate efforts


In a February feature …

Blog

Practice Greenhealth highlights members’ progress during national energy efficiency event


New Orleans is known for festivals and food. It is also known for a complicated recovery from Hurricane Katrina. At the time of the infamous storm’s landfall, there was one local LEED building. Fourteen years later, more than 1,000…

Announcements

Rochester Regional Health recognized for climate innovations


In 2018, Practice Greenhealth member Rochester Regional Health was selected as the inaugural winner of the Climate and Health Innovation…

Announcements Climate and health

Practice Greenhealth members join Health Care Climate Council


The U.S. Health Care Climate Council has welcomed two new members. University of California Health (UC Health) and …

Blog blog

Practice Greenhealth visits HCA Healthcare


By Janet Howard, Practice Greenhealth member engagement manager

Headquartered in vibrant Nashville, Tenn., HCA Healthcare (HCA) has more than 170 hospitals across the country and approximately 1,800 sites of care, including surgery…

In the News UC Health clean energy

UC Health commits to 100% clean energy by 2025


The University of California (UC) announced a bold expansion of its systemwide…

Blog cleanmed

CleanMed sessions free for members to view


For the first time, we’re providing all Practice Greenhealth members with access to view the more than 60 CleanMed sessions for free. Take advantage of this added member benefit to learn from and be inspired by colleagues and experts from across…

Blog nurses

Sharing Greening the OR strategies and savings


Practice Greenhealth recently attended the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses conference in New Orleans to promote environmental best practices in the operating room. We shared Greening the OR resources and five strategies that can…

Blog Rachelle

Finding your voice in the climate story


What is your unique climate story? Rachelle Reyes Wenger, Dignity Health's director of public policy and community advocacy, delivers a CleanMed Talk challenging us to reflect on who we are and the tremendous power we each possess to change the…

Press Releases chris

Practice Greenhealth's Christopher Bodkin honored as GreenBiz 30 under 30


From GreenBiz:

"We're pleased to introduce the 2018 class of 30 inspiring young leaders who are demonstrating the world-changing promise of…

Press Releases

Hospitals recognized for their sustainability leadership


Practice Greenhealth announces winners of Top 25 Environmental Excellence Awards

[Washington, DC] Practice Greenhealth, the nation’s leading nonprofit membership and networking organization for sustainable health care, has announced the winners…

Announcements

Baby steps toward big goals: Dr. Gandhi’s leadership in the OR


By Kaeleigh Sheehan, Member Engagement and Greening the OR manager

“Globally, nationally, as a sector, we have to set higher standards, and be more mindful of our impact,” says Dr. Seema Gandhi, associate clinical professor of…

Announcements

GreenBiz left me feeling hopeful


By Lauren Koch, Health Care Without Harm climate and health program associate director

Let’s get one thing out of the way: I have been eying the GreenBiz…

Announcements

Validation, motivation, and reputation: How the Environmental Excellence Awards can strengthen member’s sustainability efforts


On a recent winter morning, Michael J. Fiore CIH, CSP, director of Environmental Occupational Health and Safety/Sustainability at NorthShore University HealthSystem, sat down with Hermine Levey Weston for a conversation about the value…

Announcements

On the Road: Practice Greenhealth partners with Dignity Health


By Iqbal Mian, Practice Greenhealth member engagement manager

The first time I saw Sister Mary Ellen Leijewski, Dignity Health’s vice president of corporate responsibility, was at

story

Celebrate Award Winners


The Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellend Award winners were honrered at the awards Gala & Celebration Dinner held on May 9 during CleanMed 2018 in San Diego, California. The Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellend Award winners…

Blog

Healthier environments demonstrate respect for health care workers


By Veronique Nagle, Practice Greenhealth human resources director

As a Practice Greenhealth member, your organization is striving for healthier environments,  healthier people, and a healthier bottom line. In times of…

Blog Climate and health

Millennials and sustainability: Recruiting and retaining the next generation of health care


By Lauren Koch, Health Care Without Harm climate and health program associate director

I am on the edge of the millennial generation. And, it turns out, my career path mirrors the research on my generation.

After earning a…

Announcements

Health Care Without Harm's Bill Ravanesi earns "Environmental Champion Award"


The Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellend Award winners were honrered at the awards Gala & Celebration Dinner held on May 9 during CleanMed 2018 in San Diego, California. The Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellend Award winners…

featured

Healthier environments demonstrate respect for health care workers


As a Practice Greenhealth member, your organization is striving for healthier environments, healthier people, and a healthier bottom line. In times of trying to do more with less, while also. As a Practice Greenhealth member, your organization is…

Blog

How 5 hospitals set environmental purchasing priorities and saved millions


By Beth Eckl, Practice Greenhealth Environmental Purchasing program director

You’ve secured leadership support, built a team of colleagues who were successful in getting an environmental purchasing policy adopted, and…

Blog

With a little help from our friends


By Gary Cohen, Practice Greenhealth and Health Care Without Harm president

2017 has been a year of uncertainty. We saw some of the largest demonstrations in modern history, including the Women’s March, the People’s…

Announcements

Envisioning an ‘Udderly Green’ future for health care landscapes


What began as an employee engagement campaign at Gundersen Health System blossomed into a project aimed at inspiring health care landscapers across the country.

Gundersen Envision, a subsidiary of Gundersen Health…

Blog

Anesthesia providers lead in health care GHG reduction


How 1 hospital is saving $20k a month and reducing GHGs

By Kaeleigh Sheehan, Practice Greenhealth Greening the OR and member engagement manager With mounting threats…

Blog

The role of transportation in achieving hospital greenhouse gas reduction goals


Julie Moyle, MSN, RN, outreach and engagement specialist

If your sustainability priorities don’t include a transportation program and strategies to reduce transportation-related emissions, you are missing a big opportunity to reduce…

Announcements

Following our food: How health care can inform the data revolution and bring transparency to the plate


Imagine a world where food is traced from farm to fork, using data that can be accessed at the touch of a screen. Photos, ingredients, micro-nutrients, packaging details, production location and sustainability attributes, etc. — all the…

In the News

New Hospital Resource Highlights Environmental Best Practices


[From Ohio Hospital Assocation] The Ohio Hospital Association’s Energy and Sustainability Program teamed up…

Blog

Educating clinicians on health impacts of climate change


By Sarah Spengeman, Ph.D., Health Care Without Harm Climate and Health program associate director

Have you thought to yourself, “How can my hospital or system step up its climate leadership?” If so, Health Care Without…

Blog

In Search of Sustainable Products


By John Strong Principal of John Strong, LLC and serves as president of Greenhealth Management

As you shake the sleep off, you realize that the sounds of your 12-year-old daughter’s latest asthma attack woke you. You…

Announcements

On the Road with Practice Greenhealth: June 2017 Greenbeat


The Mayo Clinic in Rochester MN. Welcomed Hermine Levey Weston

By Hermine Levey Weston, RN MBA

My father, an oral surgeon, was what we nurses referred to as a “tough patient.” When hospitalized, I…

Blog

Effectively Managing Waste Anesthesia Gas


By Julie Moyle, MSN, RN  Outreach and Engagement Specialist

General anesthesia administered during surgical/interventional procedures typically includes the administration of anesthesia gases. Only about 5 percent of…

Announcements

Greening the Operating Room


By Kaeleigh Sheehan, Member Engagement Manager, Greening the OR

Summer might be a time to slow down, relax, enjoy the longer sunshine hours, but for the Greening the OR team, the fun is just getting started! *That’s not really true, the…

Blog

Hospitals collaborate with vendors to address public health through animal agriculture


By Hillary Greenwood Thanks to increasing demand for poultry raised without routine antibiotics, cost reductions and improved availability have made it easier for hospitals to add more sustainably-raised chicken to their menus. Health systems in…

In the News

Association of Climate Change Officers and Practice Greenhealth Announce Partnership


Organizations To Align Efforts on Education & Training of Healthcare System Professionals

WASHINGTON, DC – April 26, 2017 – The Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO) and Practice Greenhealth, organizations who have a common…

Press Releases

Practice Greenhealth Announces Winners of Top 25 Environmental Excellence Awards


Most prestigious environmental achievement award recognizing sector’s top hospitals

(Reston, VA) — Practice Greenhealth, the nation’s leading nonprofit membership and networking organization for sustainable…

Blog

Major Food Service Management Companies Help to Fill the GAP for Hospital Chicken Needs


Hillary Greenwood, National Procurement Director, Health Care Without Harm, Healthy Food in Health Care Program

2016 was a momentous year for addressing routine antibiotic use and animal welfare in broiler chicken production. While many…

Blog

The Environmental Excellence Awards


Each year, a growing number of Practice Greenhealth members participate in the Environmental Excellence Awards. It’s safe to say, the awards applications are a considerable undertaking, and…

Press Releases

Practice Greenhealth’s Sustainability Benchmark Report Shows Strong Progress in Environmental Performance Among Nation’s Leading Hospitals


Details health care sustainability trends across key areas: green purchasing, safer chemicals, climate change mitigation, energy and waste reduction, local and sustainable food

Washington, DC – Practice Greenhealth, the nation’s leading…

Blog

Over 70 Hospitals Engaged in Conscientious Culinary Creativity for Food Day


Blog posted by the Healthy Food Team of Practice Greenhealth and Health Care Without Harm

To celebrate Food Day in 2016, Health…

Blog Florida flood

Florida Health Systems share water and energy efficiency best practices


By Julie Moyle, MSN, RN, Outreach and Engagement Specialist, Practice Greenhealth

In 2016, the state of Florida saw states of emergencies as a result of a …

Blog

Blue Wrap and the Circular Economy


Christopher Bodkin, Data Coordinator Sector Performance and Recognition

Waste from the health care sector is significant:

255 Million lbs. of blue wrap is thrown away annually. Businesses are turning…

Announcements

On the Road with Practice Greenhealth


Practice Greenhealth at HPRC and Wisconsin Healthy Hospitals & Clinics Forum

Iqbal Mian, Member Engagement Manager

Earlier this fall, Practice Greenhealth along with various hospital systems, suppliers…

Blog

GCO Calculator


Look beyond the price tag – consider the organization’s total financial commitment when purchasing products and services.

Hospitals have an enormous energy footprint—the impact of this is costly, both financially and environmentally.

Blog

Think Locally, Track Sustainability


Food service departments across the country are influencing their supply chain by channeling human health values into their purchasing choices. Yet, the impact does not end at the point of purchase. When these products are tracked with…

Press Releases

Greenhealth Exchange Issues Statement on Sustainable Meat and Poultry


RESTON, Virginia (September 1, 2016)—Last week, nine leading health systems—Advocate Health Care, Catholic Health Initiatives, Dartmouth-Hitchcock, Gundersen Health System, HackensackUMC, Kaiser Permanente, Partners HealthCare*, University…

Press Releases

New exchange aims to bleed green, not red


Greenhealth pushes sustainable products, services to the forefront of contract availability

http…

Blog Greenbeat blog

Accurate measuring of “local” and “sustainable” starts with separation


Are local and sustainable foods the same thing? The response, in short, is not always. Applying the terms “local” and “sustainable” synonymously and interchangeably can lead to false conclusions. As health care facilities strive to incorporate…

Press Releases

Practice Greenhealth and Feeding America Partner to Mobilize Health Care


Hospitals and food banks will provide nutritious food to communities in need across the country.

June 7, 2016 (Reston, Virginia) – Practice Greenhealth and Feeding America announced today a new collaboration to help…

Blog

The Power of Visioning and Goal Setting


Kathy Gerwig presented Kaiser Permanente’s Bold Goals for improved environmental performance in a Practice Greenhealth March 2016 webinar entitled “…

Press Releases

Furniture Companies Release Lists of Environmentally Preferable Products


Showcases growing movement to eliminate chemicals of concern from health care

[Reston, VA] Eleven furniture manufacturers and two textile suppliers have publicly released lists of products that avoid the use of chemicals linked to negative…

Announcements

Dignity Health to Divest from Coal and Invest in Green Investments


Eric Lerner, US Climate Director, Health Care Without Harm

During the recent COP21 climate negotiations in Paris, France, Dignity Health announced it is divesting from thermal coal companies, expanding sustainable investments, increasing…

Blog

How are health care quality improvement and environmental sustainability connected?


By Hermine Levey Weston, RN MBA, Member Engagement Manager, Practice Greenhealth

Part two of a two-part blog series begun last…

In the News

University of Maryland Medical Center Awarded LEED Certification for Shock Trauma Critical Care Tower


Baltimore – Oct. 13, 2015. The University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) has been awarded LEED Gold certification for its Shock Trauma Critical Care Tower, a 140,000-square-foot patient care building that was completed in late 2013. LEED (…

In the News

2015 Sustainable Operations Survey


10.07.15 by Beth Burmahl, Suzanna Hoppszallern Senior Editor, Jamie Morgan

Hospitals make fruitful progress toward sustainability as some take great strides and others stick to baby steps

When it comes to environmental sustainability…

In the News

A Greener Operating Room


As your stretcher is wheeled into a hospital operating room (OR) and you stare up at the bright surgical lights, you are likely thinking about your impending surgery, not if those lights have LED bulbs or if the anesthetic gas you are about to…

In the News

Montefiore Health System cuts energy use with sustainable initiatives


Challenge

Control Montefiore Health System and Medical Centers energy budget while increasing ROI through low-risk and diverse strategies and initiatives.

What Makes Montefiore Health System different from other hospitals and…

Blog

Special Report: Building the Business Case for More Sustainable Hospitals


By Keith Sutter, Director of Medical Device Sustainability, Johnson & Johnson

Support for sustainability among health care professionals is significant. A recent global Harris Poll survey commissioned by Johnson & Johnson found…

In the News

The future of hospital food


January 08, 2015  |  by Sean Ruck , Editor-In-Chief

Janet Howard is the director of the Healthier Hospitals…

Press Releases

Gundersen installs medication disposal containers for public drop off


Gundersen Health System is building upon its successful pharmaceutical waste collection program with separate medication disposal containers for public use.

Gundersen is providing three medication drop boxes for patient, visitor and…

Blog

Environmental Sustainability and the Triple Aim


Blog by Blair Sadler, Esq., Senior Fellow, Institute for Healthcare Improvement

Now is the time to make environmental sustainability part of your quality improvement work.

Years ago when I was a hospital CEO, I didn't have…

In the News

Hospital’s ‘Green Team’ cuts waste and expense


Hospital’s ‘Green Team’ cuts waste and expense

Tuesday, October 7, 2014 2:24 PM By E. A. Barrera/Special to the Index-Tribune

Realizing that medical waste can really add up – both in garbage and dollars – Sonoma Valley Hospital…

Blog

Rethinking Environmentally Preferred Purchasing: A Case Study in Implementation at Kaiser Permanente


By Vanessa Lochner, Kaiser Permanente's director for the Environmentally Preferred Purchasing program

Achieving an environmentally preferable purchasing program is simpler than many people realize. From the start, it’s important to…

In the News

The business case for sustainability in surgery


Moyle, Julie K. MSN, RN; Lynn, Cecilia DeLoach MBA, LEED AP

Author Information

Julie K. Moyle is the Founder of 1x1 Consulting and a Staff Nurse at Avista Surgery Center, Boulder, Colo. Cecilia DeLoach Lynn is the Director…

Blog

Promoting Sustainable Health Care


By Gary Cohen, president and founder of Health Care Without Harm

Imagine energy efficient hospitals that save money on energy bills to use for critical patient care, and that promote renewable energy…

Press Releases

Practice Greenhealth Honors Environmental Excellence Awards Winners


2013  Award Winners Announced 

(Reston, Va.)— Practice Greenhealth, the nation’s leading membership association devoted to environmentally responsible health care, has announced its 2013 Environmental Excellence Award winners.  These coveted…

Blog

Poco a Poco – Sharing Jaibon, Dominican Republic – Janet Brown


Two weeks ago, my daughter Franni and I (along with two other moms and their 8th grade girls) embarked on a volunteer trip to Jaibon, Dominican Republic through a not for profit— Outreach 360. We spent the week teaching English to children aged…

Announcements

Member Spotlight: Advocate Health Care’s Environmental Stewardship


Advocate Health Care has made a commitment to delivering sustainable health care through conservation of resources, preservation of environmental health, and waste minimization. By building a culture of stewardship where each of  our associates…

Blog

Physician Leadership Critical to Greening the OR Initiative


By Jodi Sherman, MD, Guest Blogger -

In the operating room, the stakes are high and moments count. Great measures are taken to prevent bad outcomes. At the same time, the most recent and conservative Practice Greenhealth estimate places…

In the News

The greening of health care


By Mark Sanchez Business Review West Michigan

Accounting for 18 percent of the GDP in America and holding enormous purchasing power, health care is in a position to drive sustainability to new heights, Gary Cohen believes. From energy…

New toolkit helps hospitals track emissions to protect health, reduce costs


Our communities once again experienced the health impacts of climate change in 2018, including increases in heat-related illness, asthma and respiratory illness, as well as injuries and premature deaths from extreme weather events such…

Editorial Circular economy

Health care industry must adopt ‘circular mindset’


The circular economy model is a new way of looking at the relationships among markets, customers, and natural resources. This concept means moving away from the traditional “take-make dispose” economic model to one that is regenerative by design…

Health Care Without Harm and Practice Greenhealth honor environmental health heroes


RELEASE May 9, 2019  

Health Care Without Harm and Practice Greenhealth honor environmental health heroes

Every year Health Care Without Harm honors an individual with the…

Announcements CleanMed Connect

CleanMed Connect is almost here. Don't miss out.


For the past 20 years, we have been meeting in person at hotels and conference centers across the country. But on May 18-20, we will come together virtually for a brand new CleanMed experience. 

Learn more and register at …

Announcements

Announcing the 2019 winner of the Health Care Culinary Contest


 

The 2019 Health Care Culinary Contest challenged hospital chefs to create and serve a tantalizing new meal that celebrated the power of plants. Hospital chefs from across the country answered the call.

Health Care Without Harm and…

Join Practice Greenhealth

Practice Greenhealth is the health care 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.

Join now