Saving Green by Going Green
In August 2012, Forbes ran an article by Richard Crespin entitled, “If Sustainability Costs You More, You’re Doing it Wrong.” Never before has this been more true for health care providers than it is right now. In fact, data shows that if hospitals put in place certain green initiatives, they would save a lot more green – to the tune of more than $15 billion over the next 10 years. In this era of shrinking budgets, escalating health care costs, and the growing problem of medical waste, isn’t it about time that all hospitals explore these sustainable options?
Research from the Commonwealth Fund, with support provided by Health Care Without Harm and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, concluded in their report “Can Sustainable Hospitals Help Bend the Health Care Cost Curve?” that “the savings achievable through sustainable interventions could exceed $5.4 billion over five years and $15 billion over 10 years.”
