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 Peak Medical Center’s assistant vice president of operations and sustainability officer shares how his team prioritizes sustainability projects with community impact, how his work inspires him, and the documentary he can’t stop sharing. Kirane has been with HonorHealth since 2017 and in his current role since January 2022.

What excites you most about being part of the Practice Greenhealth network?

What excites me most is the fact that there are about 10 years of case studies readily available to us, along with actionable opportunities. Practice Greenhealth provides the opportunity to network with partners that have successes in different categories and organizes information for us in a helpful way.

How would you describe your relationship with Practice Greenhealth in one word?

Productive

How and why has sustainability been prioritized at your hospital?

We have an ethical duty to steward our natural resources, and we have identified expense management opportunities in reducing waste.

Successful sustainability and resiliency programs require collaboration across many  departments and shared ownership and responsibility. Internally, has there been a recent collaboration that has surprised you and elevated your work?

What I really like about our sustainability committee is that every member is actively involved, and our sustainability efforts have community impact. Nursing, supply chain, IT, facilities, and other departments came together on our Bikes for Kids, e-waste, and styrofoam recycling projects. We worked with Goodwill for personal contributions for our e-waste program. For our owned e-waste, we worked with a company called ER2 that has a front-end store where you can get refurbished devices at a discount. We were able to provide 50 laptops to a high school medical explorers program that introduces youth, who would not otherwise have access, to health care career pathways.

Tell us about a teammate or colleague at your hospital who is going above and beyond in their focus on healthier environments and healthier people.

John Jones, food service director, spearheaded reducing plastic waste in the cafeteria. He coordinated efforts to provide Meatless Monday options in all our facilities, and he is bringing local sourcing to our food supply chain.

What inspires you? What do you love most about your job?

It inspires me when people put the needs of others before themselves. I love how my two roles – supply chain and sustainability – complement each other. For a six medical center health system, there are a lot of stars in our constellation.

How did you get interested in this work?

In middle school and high school, I was involved in trash pickups and developed a sense of joy and community in improving things.

How does your work at your hospital influence what you do in your personal life or community?

My work definitely makes me conscious about the small actions I can take at home. I used to be a regular plastic water bottle drinker until I saw the documentary “A Plastic Ocean.” I share it with my family and community every chance I get.