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 gases, like desflurane, are crucial in surgeries but can also be significant contributors to the climate crisis. To address this, our partner hospitals and health systems are prioritizing the reduction and elimination of one of the most costly anesthetic gases with the highest global warming potential – desflurane.

But there’s great news, according to our Sustainability Benchmark Report – 40% of our partners have eliminated desflurane from general use. This shift resulted in a remarkable reduction of nearly 200,000 MTCO2e of emissions from inhaled anesthetics in 2023, contributing to almost $3 million in savings.

Recognizing our champions

And now we’re celebrating two new standout examples of success:

• OhioHealth announces it’s the first health system in central Ohio to eliminate desflurane. They share this has resulted in a 90% reduction in anesthetic gas-related greenhouse gas emissions – the equivalent of driving an average gas-powered car more than 2.1 million miles each year.
• In Maine, Northern Light Health eliminated the use of desflurane in their hospitals – a significant step as they seek to halve their carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Northern Light expects the financial and environmental benefits of this initiative to save $50,000 annually and reduce annual emissions by an estimated 408 MTCO2e.

A spotlight on sustainability trailblazers

As we recognize these partners' successes, we celebrate those who blazed the trail before them.

• An opinion piece in The Washington Post highlighted the physicians, nurses, anesthesiologists, and other front-line health professionals who are advocating to phase out this harmful pollutant. It shared success stories from our partners and Health Care Climate Council, from Providence to Virginia Mason Medical Center and Advocate Health.
• A must-watch CBS News feature took us on an exclusive tour of a normally highly restricted surgical unit to fully illustrate UCSF Medical Center’s work to reduce the climate impact of their operating rooms and eliminate desflurane from their facility.    

As hospitals and health systems work to eliminate desflurane, other harmful anesthetic gases are still a concern. Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, actually has a bigger climate impact than all other anesthetic gases combined. Discover how health leaders in the Pacific Northwest are taking action to reduce nitrous oxide emissions.

Beyond our network: Connecting to a global movement

As we know, the climate crisis is a global issue. Other areas of the world aren’t immune to the use of these harmful practices. But health care organizations around the world are taking action to address this issue – NHS Scotland announced an immediate ban on desflurane use in 2023, while NHS England committed to introducing a similar ban in 2024.  

Practice Greenhealth is proud to work alongside Health Care Without Harm and its global network of hospitals at Global Green and Healthy Hospitals, who have also shared success stories. Recently Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospitals Group in Western Australia launched an internal education campaign on the greenhouse gas impact of desflurane, leading to a departmental vote to stop using it. Made in 2020, this change cut emissions from 34,554 kg per month to zero. By January 2022, savings amounted to $10,000 per month.

As we reflect on these inspiring achievements, it's clear that our collective efforts are making a significant impact. The climate crisis demands continued action and innovation. We are energized by the progress we’ve seen, and we remain committed to supporting our partners and expanding these successful initiatives worldwide.

Together, we can drive further reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, foster more sustainable practices, and advance our shared goal of a healthier planet.

Resources to help you on your sustainability journey

• Our Anesthetic Gas Toolkit provides partner hospitals with a framework to reduce their Scope 1 greenhouse emissions from anesthetic gases and achieve cost savings.
• Our webinar recording on the value of clinical leadership and governance structure highlights how Ascension incorporates health professional leadership into its sustainability strategies, including desflurane elimination.
• Our Health Care Emissions Impact Calculator is a free, first-of-its-kind accounting tool specifically designed to help health care organizations measure their greenhouse gas emissions.
• Our partner-exclusive Health Care GHG Emission Reduction Action Plan Template helps partner hospitals identify opportunities and prioritize interventions.