Chief Healthcare Executive August 15, 2022
She outlines some steps for hospitals on reducing harms to the environment, making the business case, and the growing pressure to do better.
With some prodding from the federal government, hospitals are starting to pay more attention to their environmental impact.
The healthcare industry accounts for about 8.5% of America’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to Rachel Levine, U.S. assistant secretary of health. More than 60 hospitals and healthcare groups have signed a pledge to reach President Biden’s goal for healthcare organizations to cut emissions by 50% by 2030.
CommonSpirit Health has a long connection with sustainability, said Shelly L. Schlenker, the system’s executive vice president and chief advocacy officer. The organization’s roots trace to its founding by Catholic nuns and...