Search Results
Displaying results 261 - 270 of 406
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 reputation of the hospital.
At the same time, a typical OR can make up half of a hospital’s aggregate costs, produce 33% of a facility’s waste, consume more energy per square foot than any other area of the hospital, and anesthetic gases alone make up around 5% of an organization’s greenhouse gas footprint.
All of this boils down to a department rich in… Read More
Type: Press
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 nonprofit membership and networking organization for sustainable health care, released today its eighth annual Sustainability Benchmark Report. The report analyzes data from leading hospitals and health systems across the country, giving a snapshot of trends in environmental performance and sustainability in energy, water, toxics, food and other categories.… Read More
Type: Press
Hackensack University Medical Center’s annual food and beverage budget is $5 million with an estimated $1.5 million spend on meat and poultry. They serve more than 2.8 million meals annually. In only 18 months, Hackensack University Medical Center now leads the country in achieving a 98 percent benchmark of meat and poultry raised without routine antibiotics. Leadership is driving change through their GPO and the broader marketplace so other hospitals can have access to and benefit from purchasing these products. The medical center received significant media attention for their leadership and… Read More
Type: Resources
Hospitals are seen by the community as a place for healing, and as such, can be a key force in community-wide collaborations that address social and environmental determinants of health such as food insecurity.
Through investments in programming and purchasing, hospitals are creating healthy food access for patients, staff, and visitors and simultaneously building healthy, sustainable, and equitable food systems for their communities using tactics such as:
Farmers markets and farm stands on hospital campuses to provide easy access to healthy locally grown foods
On-site food gardens and… Read More
Type: Basic page
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 greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). According to the Environmental Protection Agency, transportation as a sector is the fastest growing source of worldwide carbon pollution, and contributes 27 percent of annual U.S. GHGs, exceeded only by energy production/consumption, which comprises 29 percent of annual U.S. GHGs.
Coming soon: Transportation Goal and Toolkit… Read More
Type: Press
Water and sewer costs in New York City have increased 131% since 2006 and 1,395% since 1980, well outpacing the cost increases of other utilities as well as general inflation. At the same time, water supplies have become increasingly strained and issues continue to be fueled by a changing climate. As water becomes a more critical resource, water conservation must become a higher priority for both financial and sustainability reasons. Therefore, Practice Greenhealth member NYU Langone Medical Center has developed a water reduction plan to curb water usage at the main campus and Hospital for… Read More
Type: Resources
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 together peers and experts to develop new strategies to overcome barriers and challenges to implementing sustainability initiatives.
As 2022 begins, we invite you to engage with the leaders and innovators available as part of Practice Greenhealth's virtual cohorts to advance your sustainability efforts this year.
Learn More
Explore all of our virtual… Read More
Type: Press
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 worked with and learned from the organization’s sustainability committee, which has set out to prove that with the right tools and mindset, health care organizations can achieve sustainability goals while uncovering significant cost savings and giving back to their communities.
HonorHealth’s sustainability committee includes leaders from various… Read More
Type: Press
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 require team participation, coaxing and follow-through in order to complete an award submission. Given the workload, why do hospitals continue to participate? Beyond the resulting recognition, how is the awards process adding value to hospitals’ sustainability journey?
Most hospitals submit a Partner for Change application. This comprehensive application covers ten topic areas and dives deeply into a… Read More
Type: Press
The 132-patient room, 378,000 square foot Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital was built to replace an aging facility originally designed as a nursing home and that could no longer meet the demands of the community in its existing space. Offered as a development site by the City of Boston, the hospital has become an exemplar of resilience strategy and planning. It's design integrates essential program requirements, a therapeutic environment, climate resilience, and beauty.
Spaulding is a hospital of the future that is designed for resilience and an ability to continue operations in the event of… Read More
Type: Resources
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.