/ en Wed, 30 Jul 2025 08:29:56 -0500 Fri, 18 Jul 25 19:00:00 -0500 /sustainability/summit <div class="raw-html-embed"> <div> #main-content p, #main-content ol>li, #main-content ul>li{ font-size:16px } .BulletCircle ul { list-style: none; /* Remove default bullets */ padding-left: 0px } .BulletCircle ul li { margin-bottom: 7px; line-height: 1.5em; } .BulletCircle ul li::before { content: "●"; font-size: 1em; position: relative; top: 0px; color:#78be20; text-indent: -20px; /* key property */ margin-left: 20px; /* key property */ padding-right:10px } .BulletCircle ul li { text-indent: -40px; /* key property */ margin-left: 30px; /* key property */ } */ </div> .Banner_Title_Overlay_Bar { position: relative; display: block; overflow: hidden; max-width: 1170px; margin: 0px auto 0px auto; } .LogoInsert { position: absolute; top: 0px; height:100%; left:0px; } /* .LogoInsert img{ max-width:500px; max-height:125px; top:calc(50% - 125px/2); left:calc(100% + 50px); position:absolute; }*/ .LogoInsert img { max-width: 500px; max-height: 162px; top: calc(40% - 125px / 2); left: calc(100% + 50px); position: absolute; padding: 10px; border-radius: 30px 0px; background-color: #00584499; } .LogoInsert h1{ position:absolute; left:0px; bottom:0px; width:500px; opacity:0; margin: 0px; padding: 0; } @media (max-width:640px) { .LogoBG { object-fit: cover; height: 200px; } .LogoInsert img { max-width: 250px; left: calc(100% + 15px); top: calc(50% - 112px/2); background-color: #00584499; padding: 25px; border-radius: 30px 0px; } } @media (max-width:320px) { .LogoBG { height: 150px; } } <header class="Banner_Title_Overlay_Bar"><img alt="Banner Image - Glass Earth sitting in a hand over tall grass" class="LogoBG" src="/sites/default/files/2025-01/SustainabilitySummit2025_Web_1170x250.jpg"> <div class="LogoInsert"> <img alt="���������� Association | Sustainability Summit - July 19, 2025 - Nashville, TN - Logo" src="/sites/default/files/2025-01/SustainabilitySummit2025_Web_Logo_450x217.png"></div> </header> </div>.shcIntro{ background-color:#78be2022; padding: 5px 50px 15px 50px; margin-bottom:20px; } .shcIntro h1, .shcIntro h2{ color: #005844; text-align: center; font-size: 28px; } .shcIntro ul{ color: grey; } .shcIntro p{ margin-bottom: 25px; } <div class="shcIntro BulletCircle"><h1>AHA Sustainability Summit</h1><p>The AHA Sustainability Summit brings together health care and sustainability leaders to address key challenges and formulate actionable strategies for sustainability in health care. Join us July 19 to connect with sustainability leaders, address key challenges, and celebrate success stories. Attendees will leave this one-day event with actionable strategies, new professional connections, and a recharged passion for the important work of creating more sustainable hospitals.</p></div><div class="container sp_CTA1"> @media (min-width:768px) { .sp_CTA1_holder { top: -45px } } @media (max-width:768px) { .sp_CTA1_holder { top: -1px; margin-bottom: 25px } } .sp_CTA1_holder { background-color: #fff; padding: 15px 0; position: relative; overflow: auto; border-radius: 20px 0px; border: 5px solid #78be20; } .sp_CTA1 h2, .sp_CTA1 h3 { color: #002855; font-size: 1.4em; margin: 0px; } .sp_CTA1 span { display: block; margin-top: 10px } .sp_CTA1 span a { color: #9d2235; } .sp_CTA1 span a:hover { color: #d50032; } .sp_CTA1 img { width: 100px; /*max-width: 85%;*/ margin-bottom: 10px; } /* changed class to sm so this css will not run */ @media (max-width:768px) and (min-width:361px) { .sp_CTA1 .col-xs-2 { width: 25%; left: 15px } .sp_CTA1 .col-xs-10 { width: 70%; padding-right: 15px } } @media (max-width:360px) { .sp_CTA1 img { margin: auto; display: block } .sp_CTA1 .col-xs-2 { width: 100%; } .sp_CTA1 .col-xs-10 { width: 100%; text-align: center; padding: 0 25px } } .sp_CTA1 span { display: block; margin-top: 10px } .sp_CTA1 a span { margin-top: 5px; display: inline-block; color: #d50032; } .sp_CTA1 a:hover span { color: #651d32; } @media (max-width:360px) { .sp_CTA1 img { margin: auto; display: block } .sp_CTA1 .col-xs-2 { width: 100%; } .sp_CTA1 .col-xs-10 { width: 100%; text-align: center; padding: 0 25px } } .sp_CTA1 span { display: inline; /*float: right;*/ font-weight: 700; } <div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 sp_CTA1_holder"><div class="col-sm-2"><img src="/sites/default/files/2023-03/sus-map-icons-take-action-300x300.jpg" alt="Hand holding a blowhorn"></div><div class="col-sm-10"><h3>Join us July 19, 7:00 am - 5:15 pm CST</h3><p>At the JW Marriott in Nashville, TN. The 2025 Sustainability Summit is slated to take place right before the <a href="https://leadershipsummit.aha.org/" target="_blank" title="Learn more about the AHA Leadership Summit on
July 20-22, 2025">2025 AHA Leadership Summit</a>.</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary btn-wide" href="https://cvent.me/Pm0NeZ" target="_blank" title="Register for the 2025 Sustainability Summit">Register</a></p></div></div></div><div class="raw-html-embed"> <div class="row"> /* TocMini */ .TocMini { margin: 0px auto 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; color: #005844; letter-spacing: 1.5px; font-weight: 400; font-size: .7em; width: 80%; position: relative; top: -25px; } .TocMini .TocMiniBar { border: 1px solid #78be20; padding: 5px 10px; overflow: auto; border-radius: 20px 0px; } .TocMini .TocMiniBar .TocMiniGroup a:after { content: "|"; padding: 0 3px 0 6px; color: #253b80; font-weight: 700; } .TocMini .TocMiniBar .TocMiniGroup a:last-child:after { content: ""; } .TocMini .TocMiniGroup { float: right; } .TocMini .TocMiniHome { text-transform: uppercase; color: #005844; font-weight: 700; } .TocMini .TocMiniChild { font-weight: 500; opacity: .9; color: #555; } .TocMini .TocMiniHome:hover, .TocMini .TocMiniChild:hover { text-transform: ; color: #5fa1d0; } .TocMini .TocMiniActive { font-weight: 700; color: #5fa1d0; } /* TocMini // */ <div class="TocMini"> <div class="TocMiniBar"><a class="TocMiniHome" href="/sustainability" target="_blank" title="Home - Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care">Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care </a> <div class="TocMiniGroup"> <a class="TocMiniChild" href="https://www.ashe.org/sustainability" target="_blank" title="ASHE Sustainability for Health Care Facilities">Sustainability for Health Care Facilities</a> <a class="TocMiniChild" href="/sustainability/glossary" target="_blank" title="Glossary">Glossary</a> <a class="TocMiniChild" href="https://www.ashe.org/sustainability/healquest" target="_blank" title="HealQuest">HealQuest<sup>TM</sup></a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> .shcItemsExpand{ /*border: solid 2px #005844;*/ padding-top: 25px; padding-bottom: 25px; border-radius: 75px 0px; /*margin-top:50px;*/ margin-bottom:50px; } .shcItemsExpand h2{ text-align:center; color:#005844; margin-bottom:50px; } .shcItemsExpand h3{ margin:0px; } .shcItemsExpand h4{ color:#78be20; } .shcItemsExpand .shcItemsLine { border-bottom:solid 1px #78be20; margin-top:25px; margin-bottom:50px; } .shcItemsExpand img{ max-width: 150px; margin: auto; display: block; width: 100%; } <div class="row"><div class="col-md-10 col-md-offset-1 shcItemsExpand"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-12"><h2>Keynote: First Do No Harm: The Unintended Consequence of Contemporary Healthcare</h2></div></div><div class="row" id="Electrifying"><div class="col-md-12"><div class="col-sm-3 col-md-3"><img src="/sites/default/files/2023-03/Jonathan_Perlin_300x300.png" alt="Jonathan Perlin"><div class="raw-html-embed"> <span id="dots"></span> Expand for Full Bio ↓ #more { height: 250px; overflow: auto; min-height: 100px; } button#myBtn { margin: 10px auto; display: block; background-color: #78be2022; } function myFunction() { var dots = document.getElementById("dots"); var moreText = document.getElementById("more"); var btnText = document.getElementById("myBtn"); if(dots.style.display === "none") { dots.style.display = "inline"; btnText.innerHTML = "Expand ↓"; moreText.style.height = "250px"; moreText.style.overflow = "auto"; } else { dots.style.display = "none"; btnText.innerHTML = "Collapse ↑"; moreText.style.height = "100%"; } } </div></div><div class="col-sm-9 col-md-9 BulletCircle"><div class="more" id="more"><h3>Dr. Jonathan Perlin</h3><p>Jonathan B. Perlin, MD, PhD, MSHA, MACP, FACMI, FAMIA became the seventh President and CEO of The Joint Commission Enterprise on March 1, 2022. The Joint Commission Enterprise includes The Joint Commission, Joint Commission Resources (JCR), Joint Commission International (JCI) and the National Quality Forum (NQF). Through these organizations, he launched the “HELP Agenda” domestically and internationally, providing strategic focus on Health equity, Environmental sustainability, Learning healthcare and responsible AI, and Performance integration, to better integrate improvement into normal healthcare operations.</p><p>Previously, as President, Clinical Operations and Chief Medical Officer, HCA Healthcare, Dr. Perlin led clinicians, data scientists and researchers in developing a learning health system model for improving care at the system’s 189 hospitals and 2,200 other locations. His team’s work achieved national recognition for preventing elective pre-term deliveries, reducing maternal mortality, using artificial intelligence to improve sepsis survival, and developing public-private-academic partnerships for improving infection prevention and treating COVID-19. Dr. Perlin’s CHARGE consortium partnered HCA, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and academia to create a reusable platform for accelerated research using real-world evidence from the care of over 400,000 COVID inpatients.</p><p>Before HCA, Dr. Perlin was Under Secretary for Health in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) where, as CEO, he led the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to national prominence for full implementation of a national electronic health record and benchmark clinical performance. He initiated what is now known as the “Million Veterans Program” (MVP), which has now reached its goal of mapping one million genomes to phenotypic data to better understand mechanisms of disease in Veterans and the broader population.</p><p>He has served on numerous Federal Commissions including as a Congressional Budget Office Health Advisor, a member of MedPAC (Medicare Payment Advisory Commission), and as chair of the VA Special Medical Advisory Group. An elected member of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), he has co-chaired NAM action collaboratives on digital health, combatting opioids and, currently, the healthcare sustainability policy, finance and metrics workgroup through which he demonstrates leadership by having initiated sustainable healthcare certification programs for healthcare organizations domestically and abroad.</p><p>Dr. Perlin’s board service includes chairing Columbia University’s Health Policy and Management program, the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation at Vanderbilt University’s School of Engineering, and he served as a Trustee of Meharry Medical College for 15 years. Broadly published in the academic literature and widely sought as a speaker, Dr. Perlin is perennially recognized as one of the most influential leaders in healthcare (Modern Healthcare #15, #9, #16 in “Top 100” in 2022, ’23, ‘24). He also maintains faculty appointments at Vanderbilt University as a Clinical Professor of Medicine and Health Policy and at Virginia Commonwealth University as an Adjunct Professor of Health Administration.</p></div> <div class="col-sm-6"> <p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="/foreword-and-executive-summary-electrifying-heat-existing-hospital" title="Download the Foreword and Executive Summary - Electrifying Heat in an Existing Hospital">View Free Executive Summary</a></p> </div> <div class="col-sm-6"> <p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://ams.aha.org/EWEB/DynamicPage.aspx?WebCode=ProdDetailAdd&ivd_prc_prd_key=7c7e2358-16cd-4910-99f7-174d8452884c" target="_blank" title="Purchase the Electrifying Heat in an Existing Hospital - Case Study">Purchase Case Study</a></p> </div> </div>--></div></div></div></div></div> .shcItems{ border: solid 2px #005844; padding-top: 25px; padding-bottom: 25px; border-radius: 75px 0px; /*margin-top:50px;*/ margin-bottom:50px; } .shcItems h2{ text-align:center; color:#005844; margin-bottom:50px; } .shcItems h3{ margin:0px; } .shcItems h4{ color:#78be20; } .shcItems .shcItemsLine { border-bottom:solid 1px #78be20; margin-top:25px; margin-bottom:50px; } <div class="row"><div class="col-md-10 col-md-offset-1 shcItems"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-12"><h2>Attendee Experience</h2></div></div> <div class="col-md-12"> <div class="col-xs-3 col-md-2"><img src="/sites/default/files/2023-03/Jonathan_Perlin_300x300.png" alt="Jonathan Perlin"></div> <div class="col-md-10 BulletCircle"> <h3>Dr. Jonathan Perlin</h3> <p>Jonathan B. Perlin, MD, PhD, MSHA, MACP, FACMI, became the seventh President and CEO of The Joint Commission Enterprise on March 1, 2022. The Joint Commission Enterprise includes The Joint Commission, Joint Commission Resources (JCR), Joint Commission International (JCI), and the National Quality Forum (NQF).</p> </div> <div class="col-md-10 col-md-offset-1 shcItemsLine"> </div> </div> </div>--><div class="row"><div class="col-md-12"><div class="col-xs-3 col-md-2"><img src="/sites/default/files/2023-03/sus-map-icons-healquest-300x300.jpg" alt="Icon Presentation"></div><div class="col-md-10 BulletCircle"><h3>What Will You Learn?</h3><p>Whether your health care organization is just starting to explore ways to become more sustainable or is already well on the way toward reaching decarbonization goals, you’re sure to find value at this event!</p><p>Attendance at the Sustainability Summit will include a simulation workshop exploring the impact of leadership decisions on sustainability initiatives, panel discussions with sustainability leaders that highlight the cross-functional perspectives on critical sustainability topics, and the opportunity to connect with other health care leaders about sustainability.</p><div class="shcItemsLine"> </div><h3>Who Should Attend?</h3><p>The ���������� Association and its professional membership groups are uniquely positioned to bring together key stakeholders in the health care and sustainability space. Together these leaders can work together to find solutions to advance sustainability at their organizations. To explore, set, and achieve sustainability goals, leaders must foster a culture of sustainability across multiple departments and stakeholders.</p><p>The types of leaders that should attend this event include: chief sustainability officers and other hospital sustainability leaders, CEOs, CFOs, and COOs, facility management leaders, supply chain leaders, environmental services leaders, strategic planners and business developers, risk managers and strategic partners interested in advancing health care sustainability.</p><p>The AHA Sustainability Summit takes place at the same location the day before the AHA Leadership Summit to make it easier for busy hospital leaders and strategic partners to attend this inaugural event.</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary btn-wide" href="https://cvent.me/Pm0NeZ" target="_blank" title="Register for the 2025 Sustainability Summit">Register</a></p></div></div></div></div></div><div class="row sp_CTA5_holder sp_CTA5_holder_last spacer"> .sp_CTA5_holder { border-bottom: solid 1px #555; } .sp_CTA5_holder_last { border-bottom: solid 0px #555; } .sp_CTA5_holder >div { overflow: auto; } .sp_CTA5_holder ul { list-style: none; /* Remove default bullets */ padding-left: 0px; margin-bottom: 25px; } .sp_CTA5_holder ul li { margin-bottom: 7px; line-height: 1.5em; } .sp_CTA5_holder ul li::before { content: " "; font-size: 1em; margin-right: 10px; display: inline-block; height: 12px; background-color: #d50032; width: 12px; position: relative; top: 0px; } .sp_CTA5_holder ul li { padding-left: 23px; text-indent: -23px; } .sp_CTA5_holder h2 { color: #002855; /*! line-height: 2em; */ font-size: 2.15em; margin: 0 0 15px 0; /*! font-size: 30px; */ } .sp_CTA5_holder h3 { color: #002855; line-height: 1em; font-size: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-top: 5px; } .sp_CTA5_section { margin-top: 25px } .sp_CTA5_ImgShadow { /*background-color:green;*/ /* just a visual */ text-align: center } .sp_CTA5_ImgShadow { padding-bottom: 75px; /* must match the padding on the img*/ margin: 0px; } .sp_CTA5_ImgShadow img { width: calc(100% - 35px - 15px); -webkit-box-shadow: 50px -75px 0px 0px rgba(185, 217, 235, 1); -moz-box-shadow: 50px -75px 0px 0px rgba(185, 217, 235, 1); box-shadow: 50px -75px 0px 0px rgba(185, 217, 235, 1); position: relative; top: 75px; max-width: 490px; } @media (max-width:990px) { .sp_CTA5_ImgShadow img { max-width: 350px; } } @media (max-width:990px) { .sp_CTA5_ImgShadow { padding-bottom: 75px; /* must match the padding on the img*/ margin: 0px; margin-right: 40px } } .sp_CTA5_holder table thead { color: #fff; } .sp_CTA5_holder table { color: #005844; } .sp_CTA5_holder .table-striped > tbody > tr:nth-of-type(2n+2) { background-color: #78be2022 } .sp_CTA5_holder .table-hover > tbody > tr:hover { background-color: #78be20 } .sp_CTA5_holder thead.thead-dark { font-size: 20px; background-color: #005844 } .sp_CTA5_holder .tableNotes { font-size: .7em; } <div class="col-md-6"><div class="table table-sm table-responsive"><table class="table table-striped table-hover"><thead class="thead-dark"><tr><th scope="col">Registration</th><th>Dates</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td scope="col">Registration Launch</td><td>February 20, 2025</td></tr><tr><td scope="col">Early Bird Registration Ends</td><td>June 6, 2025</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><div class="col-md-6"><div class="table table-sm table-responsive"><table class="table table-striped table-hover"><thead class="thead-dark"><tr><th scope="col">Type</th><th>Cost</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td scope="col">Member</td><td>$500</td></tr><tr><td scope="col">Non-Member</td><td>$750</td></tr><tr><td scope="col">Early Bird Member</td><td>$450</td></tr><tr><td scope="col">Early Bird Non-member</td><td>$700</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></div><div class="container col-md-12 RuralAgenda"> <a class="btn btn-primary btn-primary-avc1 btn-wide" href="https://cvent.me/7yOOKR" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank"><strong>View Session Details</strong></a> --><div><h2 class="text-align-center">Agenda</h2></div> .RuralAgenda { margin-top: 25px; } .RuralAgenda .panel { border-radius: 20px 0px; border: solid 2px #005844; } .RuralAgenda .panel-heading { font-weight: 700; font-size: 1.5em; background-color: #005844; color: #fff; border-radius: 17px 0px 0px 0px; } .RuralAgenda .RuralAgendaSpacer { margin-top: 30px } .RuralAgenda .RuralAgendaTime { background-color: #005844; font-weight: 700; padding: 5px 10px; font-size: .8em; /* Changed for AHA Rural page was 1.1em*/ margin-bottom: 10px; /* Added for AHA Rural page */ color: #fff } .RuralAgenda .RuralAgendaTimeMulti { border-left: solid 2px #78be20; min-height: 59px; border-top: solid 2px #78be20; padding-top: 10px; } .RuralAgenda h3 { margin: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; color: #005844; font-weight: 700; } .RuralAgenda h4 { margin: 0px; font-size: 1.2em; color: #333; text-transform: capitalize; font-family: Univers, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; } .RuralAgenda .RuralAgendaHash { margin-top: 25px; margin-bottom: 15px } .RuralAgenda .RuralAgendaBorder { border-top: 1px #D9D9D6 solid; padding-top: 15px; margin-top: 15px } <div class="panel panel-default" id="Saturday"><div class="panel-heading">Saturday | July 19, 2025</div><div class="panel-body"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-12 RuralAgendaSpacer"><div class="col-md-2 RuralAgendaTime">7:00 AM – 8:00 AM</div><div class="col-md-10 RuralAgendaTimeMulti"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-12"><h3>Breakfast</h3></div></div></div></div><div class="col-md-12 RuralAgendaSpacer"><div class="col-md-2 RuralAgendaTime">8:00 AM - 8:15 AM</div><div class="col-md-10 RuralAgendaTimeMulti"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-12"><h3>Welcome</h3></div></div></div></div><div class="col-md-12 RuralAgendaSpacer"><div class="col-md-2 RuralAgendaTime">8:15 AM – 9:15 AM</div><div class="col-md-10 RuralAgendaTimeMulti"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-12"><h3>Panel Discussion #1: Intro to Health Care Sustainability</h3></div></div></div></div><div class="col-md-12 RuralAgendaSpacer"><div class="col-md-2 RuralAgendaTime">9:15 AM – 9:30 AM</div><div class="col-md-10 RuralAgendaTimeMulti"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-12"><h3>Networking Break</h3></div></div></div></div><div class="col-md-12 RuralAgendaSpacer"><div class="col-md-2 RuralAgendaTime">9:30 AM – 11:00 AM</div><div class="col-md-10 RuralAgendaTimeMulti"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-12"><h3>Workshop: Carbon Emissions Learning Lab (CELL) Workshop</h3></div></div></div></div><div class="col-md-12 RuralAgendaSpacer"><div class="col-md-2 RuralAgendaTime">11:00 AM – 11:15 AM</div><div class="col-md-10 RuralAgendaTimeMulti"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-12"><h3>Networking Break</h3></div></div></div></div><div class="col-md-12 RuralAgendaSpacer"><div class="col-md-2 RuralAgendaTime">11:15 AM – 12:15 PM</div><div class="col-md-10 RuralAgendaTimeMulti"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-12"><h3>Panel Discussion #2: Practical Steps to Engaging Executive Leadership</h3></div></div></div></div><div class="col-md-12 RuralAgendaSpacer"><div class="col-md-2 RuralAgendaTime">12:15 PM – 12:45 PM</div><div class="col-md-10 RuralAgendaTimeMulti"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-12"><h3>Lunch</h3></div></div></div></div><div class="col-md-12 RuralAgendaSpacer"><div class="col-md-2 RuralAgendaTime">12:45 PM – 1:45 PM</div><div class="col-md-10 RuralAgendaTimeMulti"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-12"><h3>Lunch Keynote: First Do No Harm: The Unintended Consequence of Contemporary Healthcare</h3></div></div></div></div><div class="col-md-12 RuralAgendaSpacer"><div class="col-md-2 RuralAgendaTime">1:45 PM – 2:00 PM</div><div class="col-md-10 RuralAgendaTimeMulti"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-12"><h3>Networking Break</h3></div></div></div></div><div class="col-md-12 RuralAgendaSpacer"><div class="col-md-2 RuralAgendaTime">2:00 PM – 3:00 PM</div><div class="col-md-10 RuralAgendaTimeMulti"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-12"><h3>Panel Discussion #3: Sustainability in Rural Health Care</h3></div></div></div></div><div class="col-md-12 RuralAgendaSpacer"><div class="col-md-2 RuralAgendaTime">3:00 PM – 4:00 PM</div><div class="col-md-10 RuralAgendaTimeMulti"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-12"><h3>Panel Discussion #4: Building Resilient Health Care: Addressing Regional Infrastructure and Health Challenges</h3></div></div></div></div><div class="col-md-12 RuralAgendaSpacer"><div class="col-md-2 RuralAgendaTime">4:00 PM – 5:00 PM</div><div class="col-md-10 RuralAgendaTimeMulti"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-12"><h3>Panel Discussion #5: Partnering with Purpose: Strategic Engagements for Sustainable Health Care</h3></div></div></div></div><div class="col-md-12 RuralAgendaSpacer"><div class="col-md-2 RuralAgendaTime">5:00 PM – 5:15 PM</div><div class="col-md-10 RuralAgendaTimeMulti"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-12"><h3>Closing</h3></div></div></div></div></div><div><p><a class="btn btn-primary btn-wide" href="https://web.cvent.com/event/6188a57a-5e39-42ac-ad94-d39c237a637b/websitePage:cdc126d4-de4d-472e-ad89-ac45242e2306" target="_blank" title="View the full agenda">View Full Agenda</a></p><p><em><small><strong>Note:</strong></small></em><small> Times may be subject to change. All times Central.</small></p></div></div></div></div><div class="container sp_CTA1"><div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 sp_CTA1_holder"><div class="col-sm-2"><img src="/sites/default/files/2023-03/sus-map-icons-success-300x300.jpg" alt="line art of a human with arm outstretched on a mound"></div><div class="col-sm-10"><h3>Engage with Sponsors</h3><p>Space is limited for this 1-day event focused on health care sustainability. Join sustainability leaders and health care executives as they address key challenges, celebrate success stories, develop professional connections, and recharge their passion for creating more sustainable hospitals.</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary btn-wide" href="https://www.ashemarketingsolutions.org/events/sustainability-summit-2025/" target="_blank" title="View the Sponsorship Opportunities">Sponsorship Opportunities</a></p></div></div></div><div class="row"><div class="col-md-10 col-md-offset-1 shcItems"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-12"><h2>Other AHA Sustainability Resources</h2></div></div><div class="row"><div class="col-md-12"><div class="col-xs-3 col-md-2"><img src="/sites/default/files/2023-03/sus-map-icons-basics-300x300.jpg" alt="Icon - Blocks"></div><div class="col-md-10 BulletCircle"><p>After registering for the AHA Sustainability Summit, check out other resources the AHA has developed to help hospitals meet their sustainability goals, including:</p><ul><li>The <a href="/sustainability" title="AHA Sustainability Roadmap">AHA Sustainability Roadmap</a>, which provides resources and tools to help hospitals become more sustainable.</li><li><a href="https://www.ashe.org/sustainability/healquest" target="_blank" title="HealQuest">HealQuest</a>, a program to guide interdepartmental hospital teams through two days of hands-on activities to help make health care facilities more sustainable. </li></ul></div></div></div></div></div><div class="row spacer"><div class="col-md-12"><h2 class="text-align-center">Exclusive Keynote Lunch and Amplify Sponsor</h2></div><div class="col-md-4 col-md-offset-4"><a href="https://www.mazzetti.com/" target="_blank" title="Visit MAZZETTI"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-03/logo-mazzetti_2025_834x313.jpg" alt="MAZZETTI logo"></a></div><div class="col-md-4 col-md-offset-4"><h3 class="text-align-center">Interested in sponsoring?</h3><p><a class="btn btn-primary btn-wide ext" href="https://www.ashemarketingsolutions.org/events/sustainability-summit-2025/" title="Visit the marketing solutions page">Sponsorship Opportunities</a></p></div></div><div class="row spacer ttCollaboration shcIntro"><div class="col-sm-offset-4 col-sm-4"><a href="/sustainability" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" title="Supporting Your Sustainability Journey - Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care - Achieving Your Sustainability Goals"><img src="/sites/default/files/2023-09/sustainability-roadmap-logo-horizontal-345x195.png" alt="Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care - Achieving Your Sustainability Goals logo" width="100%" height="100%"></a></div><div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1"><p>The AHA Sustainability Summit is a not-for-profit event held with sustainability in mind.</p><p>The event was <strong>planned BY & FOR</strong> health care leaders.</p></div></div><div class="row spacer"><div class="col-sm-offset-5 col-sm-2"><a href="https://leadershipsummit.aha.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank" title="Visit AHA Leadership Summit "><img src="/sites/default/files/styles/edp_header_logo/public/leadershipsummit/SummitLogo_262px_0.png" alt="AHA Leadership Summit logo" width="100%" height="100%"></a></div></div> Fri, 07 Feb 2025 10:00:00 -0600 Decarbonization /sustainability <div class="raw-html-embed"> </div><div>#main-content p, #main-content ol>li, #main-content ul>li{ font-size:16px }  .BulletCircle ul { list-style: none; /* Remove default bullets */ padding-left: 0px } .BulletCircle ul li { margin-bottom: 7px; line-height: 1.5em; } .BulletCircle ul li::before { content: "●"; font-size: 1em; position: relative; top: 0px; color:#78be20; text-indent: -20px; /* key property */ margin-left: 20px; /* key property */ padding-right:10px } .BulletCircle ul li { text-indent: -40px; /* key property */ margin-left: 30px; /* key property */ } */ </div><div class="raw-html-embed"> .Banner_Title_Overlay_Bar { position: relative; display: block; overflow: hidden; max-width: 1170px; margin: 0px auto 0px auto; } .LogoInsert { position: absolute; top: 0px; height:100%; left:0px; } .LogoInsert img{ max-width:500px; max-height:125px; top:calc(50% - 125px/2); left:calc(100% + 50px); position:absolute; } .LogoInsert h1{ position:absolute; left:0px; bottom:0px; width:500px; opacity:0; margin: 0px; padding: 0; } @media (max-width:640px) { .LogoBG { object-fit: cover; height: 200px; } .LogoInsert img { max-width: 250px; left: calc(100% + 15px); top: calc(50% - 112px/2); background-color: #00584499; padding: 25px; border-radius: 30px 0px; } } @media (max-width:320px) { .LogoBG { height: 150px; } } <header class="Banner_Title_Overlay_Bar"> <img class="LogoBG" src="/sites/default/files/2023-03/sustainability-roadmap-web-home-banner-1170x250.jpg" alt="Banner Image - Glass Earth sitting in a hand over tall grass" width="1170" height="264"> <div class="LogoInsert"> <h1> Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care - Achieving Your Sustainability Goals </h1> <img src="/sites/default/files/2023-03/SustainabilityRoadmap_Logo_Hor-white_700x217.png" alt="Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care | Achieving Your Sustainability Goals - Logo" width="700" height="217"> </div> </header> </div>.shcIntro{ background-color:#78be2022; padding: 5px 50px 15px 50px; margin-bottom:20px; } .shcIntro h2{ color:#005844; text-align:center; } shcIntro ul{ color: grey; } <div class="shcIntro BulletCircle"><h2>Supporting Efficiency Through Sustainability</h2><p>Environmental awareness within the health care sector is growing, benefiting our communities and creating a new avenue for savings. AHA is helping our members - more than 5,000 hospitals and health systems across the country - take meaningful actions to improve the health of all people — and the environment in which they live — by setting a sustainable course for the future.</p><p>Here, you’ll find insights and resources to embrace sustainability in health care across a hospital or health system enterprise – in operations, procurement, purchasing, maintenance and new models of care.</p></div><div class="container sp_CTA1"> @media (min-width:768px) { .sp_CTA1_holder { top: -45px } } @media (max-width:768px) { .sp_CTA1_holder { top: -1px; margin-bottom: 25px } } .sp_CTA1_holder { background-color: #fff; padding: 15px 0; position: relative; overflow: auto; border-radius: 20px 0px; border: 5px solid #78be20; } .sp_CTA1 h3 { color: #002855; font-size: 1.4em; margin: 0px; } .sp_CTA1 span { display: block; margin-top: 10px } .sp_CTA1 span a { color: #9d2235; } .sp_CTA1 span a:hover { color: #d50032; } .sp_CTA1 img { width: 100px; /*max-width: 85%;*/ margin-bottom:10px; } /* changed class to sm so this css will not run */ @media (max-width:768px) and (min-width:361px) { .sp_CTA1 .col-xs-2 { width: 25%; left: 15px } .sp_CTA1 .col-xs-10 { width: 70%; padding-right: 15px } } @media (max-width:360px) { .sp_CTA1 img { margin: auto; display: block } .sp_CTA1 .col-xs-2 { width: 100%; } .sp_CTA1 .col-xs-10 { width: 100%; text-align: center; padding: 0 25px } } .sp_CTA1 span { display: block; margin-top: 10px } .sp_CTA1 a span { margin-top:5px; display:inline-block; color: #d50032; } .sp_CTA1 a:hover span { color: #651d32; } @media (max-width:360px) { .sp_CTA1 img { margin: auto; display: block } .sp_CTA1 .col-xs-2 { width: 100%; } .sp_CTA1 .col-xs-10 { width: 100%; text-align: center; padding: 0 25px } } .sp_CTA1 span { display: inline; /*float: right;*/ font-weight: 700; } <div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 sp_CTA1_holder"><div class="col-sm-2"><img src="/sites/default/files/2023-03/sus-map-icons-take-action-300x300.jpg" alt="Hand holding a blowhorn" width="300" height="300"></div><div class="col-sm-10"><h3>The Health Care Leader's Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship</h3><p>This guide supports hospital leaders seeking to make their organization more environmentally sustainable through actionable strategies and resources.</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary btn-wide ext" href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide" title="Read: The Health Care Leader's Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship">View the Guide</a></p></div></div><div class="col-sm-2"> </div></div><div class="raw-html-embed"> <div class="row"> /* TocMini */ .TocMini { margin: 0px auto 25px; padding-bottom: 5px; color: #005844; letter-spacing: 1.5px; font-weight: 400; font-size: .7em; width: 80%; } .TocMini .TocMiniBar { border: 1px solid #78be20; padding: 5px 10px; overflow: auto; border-radius: 20px 0px; } .TocMini .TocMiniBar .TocMiniGroup a:after { content: "|"; padding: 0 3px 0 6px; color: #253b80; font-weight: 700; } .TocMini .TocMiniBar .TocMiniGroup a:last-child:after { content: ""; } .TocMini .TocMiniGroup { float: right; } .TocMini .TocMiniHome { text-transform: uppercase; color: #005844; font-weight: 700; } .TocMini .TocMiniChild { font-weight: 500; opacity: .9; color: #555; } .TocMini .TocMiniHome:hover, .TocMini .TocMiniChild:hover { text-transform: ; color: #5fa1d0; } .TocMini .TocMiniActive{ font-weight: 700; color: #5fa1d0; } /* TocMini // */ <div class="TocMini"> <div class="TocMiniBar"> <a class="TocMiniHome" href="/sustainability" target="_blank" title="Home - Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care">Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care </a> <div class="TocMiniGroup"> <a class="TocMiniChild" href="https://www.ashe.org/sustainability" target="_blank" title="ASHE Sustainability for Health Care Facilities">Sustainability for Health Care Facilities</a> <a class="TocMiniChild" href="/sustainability/glossary" target="_blank" title="Glossary">Glossary</a> <a class="TocMiniChild" href="https://www.ashe.org/sustainability/healquest" target="_blank" title="HealQuest">HealQuest<sup>TM</sup></a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>.shcHighlight h2{ color:#005844; } .shcHighlight span{ font-weight:700; color:#78be20; } <div class="row shcHighlight BulletCircle"><div class="col-md-6"><h2>What is sustainability in health care?</h2><ul><li>In health care, sustainability refers to the implementation of cost-efficient, environmentally friendly practices to support healthy and resilient environments and communities over time.</li><li>Sustainability in health care is based on a simple principle: Everything that humans need for their survival and well-being depends, either directly or indirectly, on the natural environment.</li><li>To pursue sustainability is to create and maintain the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony</li></ul></div><div class="col-md-6"><h2>Why and how does environmental sustainability affect health care?</h2><p><span>Problem:</span> The environment contributes to people's wellbeing, contributing to chronic diseases, such as asthma and cancer, or to acute illnesses like heat exhaustion.</p><p><span>Solution:</span> Everyone, including hospitals, needs to be a part of the solution and make changes that will help improve the environment.</p><p><span>Premise:</span> Hospitals can reduce carbon emissions significantly with simple changes, such as reducing surgical waste, reducing toxic chemicals and installing life-saving renewable energy sources.</p><p><span>Reason:</span> Hospital and health systems engaged in sustainable practices are doing so largely because it aligns with their humanitarian and stewardship mission and vision. Becoming a positive force for environmental health leads to human health and wellbeing.</p></div></div>.shcItems{ border: solid 2px #005844; padding-top: 25px; padding-bottom: 25px; border-radius: 75px 0px; margin-top:50px; margin-bottom:50px; } .shcItems h2{ text-align:center; color:#005844; margin-bottom:50px; } .shcItems h3{ margin:0px; } .shcItems h4{ color:#78be20; } .shcItems .shcItemsLine { border-bottom:solid 1px #78be20; margin-top:25px; margin-bottom:50px; } <div class="row"><div class="col-md-10 col-md-offset-1 shcItems"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-12"><h2>Getting Started</h2></div></div><div class="row"><div class="col-md-12"><div class="col-xs-3 col-md-2"><img src="/sites/default/files/2023-03/sus-map-icons-basics-300x300.jpg" alt="Icon - Blocks" width="300" height="300"></div><div class="col-md-10 BulletCircle"><h3>The Basics</h3><p>“Where do we start?” is a common question when embarking on a sustainability journey. These basic concepts will help guide hospitals, health systems and their staffs as they practice environmental sustainability.</p><ul><li><a href="/sustainability/glossary" title="Sustainability Glossary">Sustainability Glossary</a>, for building effective sustainability communications across your organization.</li><li><a href="https://www.ashe.org/sustainability/guide" target="_blank" title="ASHE Sustainability Guide">ASHE Sustainability Guide</a>, offering step-by-step directions on developing and executing a sustainability program.</li><li><a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide" title="The Health Care Leader’s Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship">Health Care Leader's Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship</a></li></ul></div><div class="col-md-10 col-md-offset-1 shcItemsLine"> </div></div></div><div class="row"><div class="col-md-12"><div class="col-xs-3 col-md-2"><img src="/sites/default/files/2023-03/sus-map-icons-mapping-300x300.jpg" alt="Icon - Map" width="300" height="300"></div><div class="col-md-10 BulletCircle"><h3>Mapping Out Your Path Forward</h3><p>No two organizations embark on the same route to becoming sustainable, however the process for approaching the journey can be similar. Begin with an understanding of what has been done and what needs to be done, and develop and deploy a path forward using these tools.</p><h4>Targeted Tools and Resources:</h4><ul><li><a href="/education-events/financing-sustainability-through-inflation-reduction-act-making-case" target="_blank" title="Financing Sustainability through the Inflation Reduction Act: Making the Case">Financing Sustainability through the Inflation Reduction Act: Making the Case</a></li><li><a href="/sustainability/electrifying-heat-existing-hospital#Electrifying" title="Electrifying Heat in an Existing Hospital">Electrifying Heat in an Existing Hospital</a></li><li><a href="/sustainability/electrifying-heat-existing-hospital#Decarbonization" title="How to Prepare for a Decarbonization Study">How to Prepare for a Decarbonization Study</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ashe.org/decarbonizing-health-care-facilities" target="_blank" title="Decarbonizing health care facilities">Decarbonizing health care facilities</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ashe.org/sustainability/decarbonization-code-overlay" target="_blank" title="Health Care Decarbonization Code Overlay">Health Care Decarbonization Code Overlay</a></li></ul><h4>Opportunities for Change:</h4><ul><li><a href="https://www.ashe.org/opportunities-hospital-sustainability" target="_blank" title="Kickstarting your hospital’s hospital sustainability efforts">Kickstarting your hospital’s hospital sustainability efforts</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ashe.org/energytocare/sustainability-tips/you-win-with-people" target="_blank" title="Engaging people">Engaging people</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ashe.org/hospitals-reduce-their-carbon-footprints-sustainable-solutions" target="_blank" title="Reducing your facility’s carbon footprint with sustainable solutions">Reducing your facility’s carbon footprint with sustainable solutions</a></li></ul><h4>Collaborations:</h4><ul><li><a href="/sustainability/sustainability-accelerator-tool" title="Sustainability Accelerator Tool (SAT)">Sustainability Accelerator Tool (SAT)</a>, developed by the Geneva Sustainability Centre in collaboration to Deloitte. Use it to assess sustainability maturity, track progress and gain insights to accelerate action.</li><li><a href="/community-health-environment" title="Community Health and Environment">Community Health and Environment</a>: The AHA aims to offer resources to support hospitals' efforts to assess, plan for and respond to the impacts of the environment on communities' health.</li></ul></div><div class="col-md-10 col-md-offset-1 shcItemsLine"> </div></div></div><div class="row"><div class="col-md-12"><div class="col-xs-3 col-md-2"><img src="/sites/default/files/2023-03/sus-map-icons-healquest-300x300.jpg" alt="Icon Presentation" width="300" height="300"></div><div class="col-md-10 BulletCircle"><h3>HealQuest<sup>TM</sup></h3><p><a href="https://www.ashe.org/sustainability/healquest" target="_blank" title="HealQuest">HealQuest</a> brings together hospital leaders and cross-functional teams for two-days of hands-on learning to promote cultural changes toward sustainability.</p><h4>4-tier Training Program Offers Guidance on:</h4><ul><li>Culture and accountability</li><li>Uncovering energy opportunities</li><li>Leadership engagement</li><li>Promoting behavior change</li><li>Leadership engagement</li></ul></div></div></div></div></div>.schOffer img { border-radius: 20px 0px; margin-bottom:15px; } .schOffer h2, .schOffer h3{ color: #005844; } .schOffer h2 { text-align: center; margin-bottom: 25px; } .schOffer h3 { margin-top:10px } .schOfferModal:hover h3, .schOfferDirect:hover h3{ color: #78be20; } .schOfferModal h3 a, .schOfferDirect h3 a { color: #005844; } .schOfferModal:hover h3 a, .schOfferDirect:hover h3 a { color: #78be20; } .schOfferModal, .schOfferDirect { border: solid 2px #fff; transition: transform .5s; padding-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 40px; border-radius: 50px 0px; } .schOfferModal:hover { border: solid 2px #005844; transform: scale(1.03); transition: transform 1s; cursor: help; /*https://www.educba.com/cursor-in-html/ */ border-radius: 50px 0px; z-index:100; } .schOfferDirect:hover { border: solid 2px #005844; transform: scale(1.03); transition: transform 1s; border-radius: 50px 0px; z-index:100; } .schOfferModal:hover[data-target="#*"] { color: red; } @media (min-width: 1200px) { .rowEqual_768 { display: -webkit-box; display: -webkit-flex; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; } .rowEqual_768>[class*='col-'] { -ms-flex: 1; /* IE 10 */ flex: auto; width: calc(100%/3 - 2px) /*Safari Fix*/; } } @media (max-width: 1200px) and (min-width:768px) { .rowEqual_768 { display: -webkit-box; display: -webkit-flex; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; } .rowEqual_768>[class*='col-'] { -ms-flex: 1; /* IE 10 */ flex: auto; width: calc(100%/2 - 2px) /*Safari Fix*/; } } <div class="row schOffer"><div class="col-md-12"><h2>Learn How All Levels of Your Organization Contribute to Sustainability</h2></div><div class="row rowEqual_768"><div class="col-md-4 schOfferModal"><div class="row" data-target="#modal-Trustees" data-toggle="modal" title="View for more details"><div class="col-xs-3"><img src="/sites/default/files/2023-03/sus-photo-icons-trustees-300x300.jpg" alt="People around a conference table" width="300" height="300"></div><div class="col-md-9"><h3>Trustees</h3></div><div class="col-md-12"><p>Trustees are uniquely positioned to tackle sustainability in health care by articulating it’s value proposition and strengthening culture using these <a>resources</a>.</p></div></div></div><div class="col-md-4 schOfferModal"><div class="row" data-target="#modal-Executive" data-toggle="modal" title="View for more details"><div class="col-xs-3"><img src="/sites/default/files/2023-03/sus-photo-icons-executives-300z300.jpg" alt="Leaders talking together" width="300" height="300"></div><div class="col-md-9"><h3>Executive Leadership</h3></div><div class="col-md-12"><p>Hospital leaders must navigate a path forward to make health care sustainable a priority. Environmental sustainability can provide near- and long-term financial savings, improve patient care and increase workforce engagement.</p><p>These <a>resources</a> offer health care leaders actionable information driving positive changes.</p></div></div></div><div class="col-md-4 schOfferDirect"><div class="row"><div class="col-xs-3"><a href="https://www.ashe.org/sustainability" target="_blank" title="ASHE Health Care Facility Management"><img src="/sites/default/files/2023-03/sus-photo-icons-facilities-300x300.jpg" alt="Facility managers with blueprints" width="300" height="300"></a></div><div class="col-md-9"><h3><a href="https://www.ashe.org/sustainability" target="_blank" title="ASHE Health Care Facility Management">Health Care Facility Management</a></h3></div><div class="col-md-12"><p>The American Society for Heath Care Engineering offers an environmental sustainability <a href="https://www.ashe.org/sustainability" target="_blank" title="repository">repository</a>, featuring the Energy to Care program, decarbonization resources and training, for facility management professionals.</p></div></div></div><div class="col-md-4 schOfferModal"><div class="row" data-target="#modal-Resiliency" data-toggle="modal" title="View for more details"><div class="col-xs-3"><img src="/sites/default/files/2023-03/sus-photo-icons-resilience-300x300.jpg" alt="Ambulance in a Hospital Emergency entrance" width="300" height="300"></div><div class="col-md-9"><h3>Resiliency and Preparedness</h3></div><div class="col-md-12"><p>In moments of crisis in a community, hospitals serve as the cornerstone of aid and recovery. Hospitals and health systems can prepare for extreme weather events by deploying proven sustainable and resilient practices. These <a>articles</a> provide best practice case studies of health care facilities deploying resilient solutions.</p></div></div></div><div class="col-md-4 schOfferDirect"><div class="row"><div class="col-xs-3"><a href="https://www.ahrmm.org" target="_blank" title="AHRMM"><img src="/sites/default/files/2023-03/sus-photo-icons-supplies-300x300.jpg" alt="Medial masks" width="300" height="300"></a></div><div class="col-md-9"><h3><a href="https://www.ahrmm.org" target="_blank" title="AHRMM">Supply Chain</a></h3></div><div class="col-md-12"><p>With scope 3 emissions representing the lion’s share of health care emissions, supply chain professionals play a critical role to create and maintain a more resilient and sustainable health care system. Here you’ll find environmental sustainability <a href="https://www.ahrmm.org" target="_blank" title="AHRMM">resources</a> for the health care supply chain.</p></div></div></div><div class="col-md-4 schOfferDirect"><div class="row"><div class="col-xs-3"><a href="https://www.ahe.org" target="_blank" title="AHE"><img src="/sites/default/files/2023-03/sus-photo-environment-300x300.jpg" alt="Gloved hand cleaning a surface" width="300" height="300"></a></div><div class="col-md-9"><h3><a href="https://www.ahe.org" target="_blank" title="AHE">Environmental Services</a></h3></div><div class="col-md-12"><p>The Association for the Health Care Environment offers <a href="https://www.ahe.org" target="_blank" title="resources">resources</a> for environmental services professionals on addressing health care’s environmental impact while providing a clean, safe space for patients, visitors, and staff.</p></div></div></div></div><div>.sp_modal button { background-color: #fff; /*border: solid 0px lightgrey;*/ padding: 10px; overflow: hidden; } .sp_modal button:hover img { opacity: .7; padding: 0px; transform: scale(1.09); transition: transform 1s; /* Animation */ } .sp_modal { margin: 20px auto } .sp_modalWrap { border: 0px solid #fff; } .sp_modalWrap img { width: 100%; } .modal { position: fixed; top: 40%; left: 50%; transform: translate(-50%, -25%); width: 100%; height: 100%; /*! display: inline-block !important; */ } .modal .close { top: .5em; } .sp_modalWrap .modal-body { text-align: left } .modal-backdrop { opacity: 0.5 !important; } .modal-dialog { width: calc(100% - 20px); max-width: 1000px; } .modal-header { text-align: center; background-color: #fff; } .modal-header a.btn { position: absolute; top: 95px; right: 15px; padding: 5px 15px; } /* .modal-header a{ position: absolute; bottom:15px; right: 15px; z-index: 100 } */ .modal-dialog { overflow-y: initial !important; border: solid 2px darkgrey } .modal-body { height: auto; max-height: 50vh; overflow-y: auto; background-color: #f6f6f6; } @media (max-width: 550px) { .modal-header img { width: 70%; float: left; } .modal-header a.btn { position: absolute; top: 65px; right: 15px; padding: 5px 15px; } } @media (max-height: 360px) { .modal { width: 90%; top: 10px; transform: translate(-50%, -0%); /*! display: inline-block !important; */ } .modal-body { height: auto; max-height: 45vh; } } @media (max-width: 990px) and (min-width:640px) { .sp_modal-parent .col-md-3 { width: 33.3%; float: left } } @media (max-width: 639px) and (min-width:414px) { .sp_modal-parent .col-md-3 { width: 50%; float: left } } <div class="modal fade in" id="modal-Trustees" role="dialog"><div class="modal-dialog"><div class="modal-content"><div class="modal-header"><p>×</p><h3>Trustees</h3></div><div class="modal-body"><p>Trustees are uniquely positioned to tackle sustainability in health care by articulating it’s value proposition and strengthening culture using these resources.</p><h4>Resources</h4><ul><li><a href="https://www.ashe.org/financing-energy" target="_blank" title="Business Case">Business Case</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ashe.org/bestpractices" target="_blank" title="Near- and Long-term Project Planning">Near- and Long-term Project Planning</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div><div class="modal fade in" id="modal-Executive" role="dialog"><div class="modal-dialog"><div class="modal-content"><div class="modal-header"><p>×</p><h3>Executive Leadership</h3></div><div class="modal-body"><p>Hospital leaders must navigate a path forward to make health care sustainable a priority. Environmental sustainability can provide near- and long-term financial savings, improve patient care and increase workforce engagement.</p><p>These resources offer health care leaders actionable information driving positive changes.</p><h4>Resources</h4><ul><li><a href="https://www.ashe.org/financing-energy" target="_blank" title="Financing Opportunities and ROI">Financing Opportunities and ROI</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ashe.org/energytocare/sustainability-tips/developing-green-team-key-to-success/sustainability-tips/developing-gree-team-key-to-success" target="_blank" title="Engaging the Workforce">Engaging the Workforce (Green team, organizational structure, etc)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ashe.org/bestpractices " target="_blank" title="Near- and Long-term Project Planning">Near- and Long-term Project Planning</a></li><li><a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide" title="The Health Care Leader’s Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship">Health Care Leader's Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div><div class="modal fade in" id="modal-Resiliency" role="dialog"><div class="modal-dialog"><div class="modal-content"><div class="modal-header"><p>×</p><h3>Resiliency and Preparedness</h3></div><div class="modal-body"><p>In moments of crisis in a community, hospitals serve as the cornerstone of aid and recovery. Hospitals and health systems can prepare for extreme weather events by deploying proven sustainable and resilient practices. These <a>articles</a> provide best practice case studies of health care facilities deploying resilient solutions.</p><h4>Resources</h4><ul><li><a href="https://www.hfmmagazine.com/climate_change" target="_blank" title="Climate Change Response and Recovery">Climate Change Response and Recovery</a></li><li><a href="https://www.hfmmagazine.com/articles/4338-resilient-design-ensures-nyc-facility-is-prepared-for-the-unexpected" target="_blank" title="Resilient design">Resilient design</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="raw-html-embed"> .SponsorMarketoForm { background-color: ; padding: 5px 25px; border: solid 2px #005844; margin: 50px 15px 0px; border-radius: 75px 0px; } .SponsorMarketoForm h3 { margin: 10x 0 0 0; color: #555; font-size: .7em; text-transform: uppercase; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 3px; max-width: 200px; /* Custom for the copy length */ background-color: #fff; padding: 5px 15px; position: relative; top: -35px } .SponsorMarketoForm h2 { color: #005844; } .SponsorMarketoForm .SponsorMarketoFormHolder { background-color: ; padding: 15px; display: block; margin-bottom: 25px; max-width: 700px; overflow: hidden; } .SponsorMarketoFormHolder form { margin: auto; display: inline/* xxxxxxxxxxx */ } /* Marketo Over-ride */ #contactus .mktoForm .mktoFormRow:nth-child(3) { float: left; } /*Center the last row .mktoForm .mktoFormRow:nth-child(4){ margin-left:15%; } */ #contactus .mktoForm label { font-size: 0px; width: 0px !important; } #contactus .mktoForm input { height: 30px } #contactus .mktoForm .mktoButtonRow { float: left; } #contactus .mktoForm .mktoButtonWrap { margin-left: 20px !important; } #contactus .mktoForm .mktoButton { background-color: #005844 !important; border: 1px solid #005844 !important; color: #fff !important; padding: 0.4em 1em; font-size: 1em; background-image: none !important; min-width: 190px; /*margin: 0 15px;*/ border-radius: 4px; /*padding: 10px 20px;*/ transition: all .25s ease-in-out; text-shadow: none; white-space: normal; height: 30px; font-weight: 700 } #contactus .mktoForm .mktoButton:hover { background-color: #fff !important; border: 1px solid #005844 !important; color: #005844 !important; } #contactus .mktoForm .mktoClear { clear: none; } <div class="container spacer" id="contactus"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-1">   </div> <div class="col-md-10"> <div class="SponsorMarketoForm"> .FlipFlop { display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; flex-direction: column-reverse; } .FlipFlop h2 { color: #005844; line-height: 1em !important; font-size: 30px; margin: 10px 0 20px 0; } .FlipFlop .CTAkicker { margin: 0px; color: #555; font-size: 12px; text-transform: uppercase; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 3px; } /*special for the Marketo form*/ .SponsorMarketoForm .FlipFlop .CTAkicker { z-index: 1000; margin: 0px; color: #555; font-size: .7em; text-transform: uppercase; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 3px; top: -10px; position: relative; background-color: #fff; width: 200px; margin: auto; } <div class="FlipFlop"> <h2> Stay up to date with the latest in Sustainability </h2> <div class="CTAkicker"> Connect with us </div> </div> <p> Subscribe to receive email updates from AHA Sustainability. </p> <div class="SponsorMarketoFormHolder">   MktoForms2.loadForm("//sponsors.aha.org", "710-ZLL-651", 4376); MktoForms2.whenReady(function(form) { if(form.getId() == 4376) { form.onSuccess(function(values, followUpUrl) { form.getFormElem().hide(); document.getElementById("successAndErrorMessages").innerHTML = ` <div> <p> Thank you for your interest in AHA Sustainability. You are now subscribed.<\/p><\/div>`; return false; }); }; }); <div id="successAndErrorMessages">   </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-md-1">   </div> </div> </div> </div> .mktoForm .mktoRequiredField .mktoAsterix { display: block; font-size: 18px; top: 10px; position: absolute; left: 5px } Wed, 28 Feb 2024 11:00:00 -0600 Decarbonization /sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/business-case <div class="raw-html-embed"> </div><div class="raw-html-embed"> .Banner_Title_Overlay_Bar { position: relative; display: block; overflow: hidden; max-width: 1170px; margin: 0px auto 0px auto; } .LogoInsert { position: absolute; top: 0px; height:100%; left:0px; } .LogoInsert img{ max-width:500px; max-height:125px; top:calc(50% - 125px/2); left:calc(100% + 50px); position:absolute; } .LogoInsert h1{ position:absolute; left:0px; bottom:0px; width:500px; opacity:0; margin: 0px; padding: 0; } @media (max-width:640px) { .LogoBG { object-fit: cover; height: 200px; } .LogoInsert img { max-width: 250px; left: calc(100% + 15px); top: calc(50% - 112px/2); background-color: #00584499; padding: 25px; border-radius: 30px 0px; } } @media (max-width:320px) { .LogoBG { height: 150px; } } <header class="Banner_Title_Overlay_Bar"> <img alt="Banner Image - Glass Earth sitting in a hand over tall grass" class="LogoBG" src="/sites/default/files/2023-03/sustainability-roadmap-web-home-banner-1170x250.jpg"> <div class="LogoInsert"> <img alt="Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care | Achieving Your Sustainability Goals - Logo" src="/sites/default/files/2023-03/SustainabilityRoadmap_Logo_Hor-white_700x217.png"></div> </header> </div> .shcIntro{ background-color:#78be2022; padding: 5px 50px 15px 50px; margin-bottom:20px; } .shcIntro h1, .shcIntro h2, .shcIntro h3 { color: #005844; text-align: center; } .shcIntro h1{ font-size:2em; } .shcIntro h2{ font-size:1.6em; } shcIntro ul{ color: grey; } <div class="shcIntro"><h1>The Business Case to Environmental Stewardship</h1></div><div class="raw-html-embed"> <div class="row"> /* TocMini */ .TocMini { margin: 0px auto 25px; padding-bottom: 5px; color: #005844; letter-spacing: 1.5px; font-weight: 400; font-size: .7em; width: 80%; } .TocMini .TocMiniBar { border: 1px solid #78be20; padding: 5px 10px; overflow: auto; border-radius: 20px 0px; } .TocMini .TocMiniBar .TocMiniGroup a:after { content: "|"; padding: 0 3px 0 6px; color: #253b80; font-weight: 700; } .TocMini .TocMiniBar .TocMiniGroup a:last-child:after { content: ""; } .TocMini .TocMiniGroup { float: right; } .TocMini .TocMiniHome { text-transform: uppercase; color: #005844; font-weight: 700; } .TocMini .TocMiniChild { font-weight: 500; opacity: .9; color: #555; } .TocMini .TocMiniHome:hover, .TocMini .TocMiniChild:hover { text-transform: ; color: #5fa1d0; } .TocMini .TocMiniActive{ font-weight: 700; color: #5fa1d0; } /* TocMini // */ <div class="TocMini"> <div class="TocMiniBar"> <a class="TocMiniHome" href="/sustainability" target="_blank" title="Home - Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care">Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care</a> <div class="TocMiniGroup"> <a class="TocMiniChild" href="https://www.ashe.org/sustainability" target="_blank" title="ASHE Sustainability for Health Care Facilities">Sustainability for Health Care Facilities</a> <a class="TocMiniChild" href="/sustainability/glossary" target="_blank" title="Glossary">Glossary</a> <a class="TocMiniChild" href="https://www.ashe.org/sustainability/healquest" target="_blank" title="HealQuest">HealQuest<sup>TM</sup></a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> .btn-primary { background-color: #005844; } .shcItemsLine { border-bottom:solid 1px #78be20; margin-top:10px; margin-bottom:25px; } .shcHighlight h3{ color:#333; font-size:16px; text-align:center; margin:0px } .shcHighlight span{ font-weight:700; color:#78be20; } p.center_Lead, ul li.center_Lead{ color: #63666A; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.4; font-size: 20px; } <div class="row shcHighlight BulletCircle"><div class="col-sm-6 col-md-7"><p class="center_Lead">Sustainability and environmental stewardship are transformational for each health care organization — and the sector as a whole. The business concepts “Create Value” and “Reinforce the Mission” help to show the importance of sustainability and decarbonization. Adapting these examples to your own organization and community will make an even more compelling case.</p><div class="col-md-10 col-md-offset-1 shcItemsLine"> </div></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-md-5"> <div data-entity-type="webform" data-entity-uuid="82c58bca-9296-40b2-8941-0c6929d9ef6b" data-embed-button="webform_embed" data-entity-embed-display="view_mode:webform.token" data-langcode="en" data-entity-embed-display-settings="[]" class="embedded-entity"> <div class="antibot-no-js antibot-message antibot-message-warning">You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form.</div> <div id="edit-sustainability-menu-code" class="js-form-item form-item js-form-type-processed-text form-item- js-form-item- form-no-label"> <div class="raw-html-embed"> .webform-submission-form { margin: 0em auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 0 0px; .ResourceHolder-1 { background-color: #78be2022; padding: 25px 9px; display: inline-block; border-radius: 50px 50px 0 0; width: 100% } .ResourceHolder-1 h2 { color: ; line-height: 18px; font-size: 18px; margin: 10px 0 15px 0; text-align:center; } .ResourceHolder-1 h2 a { color: #005844; } .ResourceHolder-1 h2 a:hover { color: #4579bc; } <div class="ResourceHolder-1"> <div class="col-md-4"> <a href="/system/files/media/file/2025/03/Leaders-Guide-Environmental-Stewardship.pdf" target="_blank" title="The Health Care Leader's Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-07/Sus-Guide-Cover-777x600.png" alt="Cover image of the AHA's guide: The Health Care Leader's Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship" width="100%"></a> </div> <div class="col-md-8"> <h2><a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide" title="Start at the begining of the Guide: The Health Care Leader's Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship">The Health Care Leader’s Guide</a></h2> .RuralAgendaTOC { text-align: center; font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px; background-color: ; padding: 0 15px 15px 15px; } .RuralAgendaTOC a:link { color: #005844; text-decoration: none; } .RuralAgendaTOC a:hover { color: #FED141aa; } .RuralAgendaTOC a:hover { color: #4579bc; ; } .RuralAgendaTOC a:active { color: green; } <h3>Sections:</h3> <div class="RuralAgendaTOC"> <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/team" title="Go to section on: The Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship Team">Sustainability Team </a>| <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/ceos" title="Go to section on: CEO’s Guide">CEO </a>| <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/coos" title="Go to section on: COO’s Guide">COO </a>| <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/cfos" title="Go to section on: CFO’s Guide">CFO </a>| <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/board" title="Go to section on: Board's Guide">Board </a>| <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/business-case" title="Go to section on: The Business Case">Business Case</a> </div> <div> <a class="btn btn-primary btn-wide" href="/system/files/media/file/2025/03/Leaders-Guide-Environmental-Stewardship.pdf" target="_blank" title="Download the printable version: The Health Care Leader's Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship">Printable Version</a> </div> </div> </div></div> </div> <div class="homepage-textfield js-form-wrapper form-wrapper"><div class="js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textfield form-item-homepage js-form-item-homepage"> Leave this field blank </div> </div> </div></div></div><h2 class="text-align-center">Sections</h2> .Sticky { position: sticky; top: 0; background-color: #fff; z-index: 1000; border-radius: 0 0 25px 25px; z-index:1000; color: #78be20; width: fit-content; margin: auto; padding: 0px 10px 5px; font-size:14px; } .Sticky nav p{ font-size:14px; font-weight:700; line-height:13px } @media (max-width:790px){ .Sticky nav p{ font-size:11px; } } .Sticky a { color: #005844; text-decoration: none; } .Sticky .scroll-watcher { height: 10px; position: relative; top: 0; left: 0; z-index: 1000; background-color: #78be20; width: 100%; scale: 0 1; transform-origin: left; animation: scroll-watcher linear; animation-timeline: scroll(y); } @keyframes scroll-watcher { to { scale: 1 1; } } <div class="scroll-watcher"> </div><nav><p><a href="#Value">Create Value</a> | <a href="#Reinforce">Reinforce the Mission</a> | <a href="#EnvironmentalRisks">Environmental Risks</a> | <a href="#RecognizeRisks">Risks/Impact</a> | <a href="#ActionSteps">Action Steps</a> | <a href="#Financial">Financial Sustainability</a> | <a href="#Investments">Investments/Foundation</a> | <a href="#Question">Ask Question</a></p></nav> .SessionWrapper { border: solid 2px #005844; margin-bottom: 20px; } h2.SessionTitle { font-weight: 700; background-color: #00584422; color: #005844; padding: 15px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 25px; font-size: 33px; } .SessionEvents { margin-bottom: 30px; display:inline-block; } .SessionEvents br { margin-bottom: 10px; } .SessionEvents h3 { font-size: 30px; } .SessionEvents h4 { color: #9d2235; } .SessionEvents ul { list-style: none; /* Remove default bullets */ padding-left: 25px; margin-bottom: 25px; } .SessionEvents ul li { margin-bottom: 7px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 16px; } .SessionEvents ul li::before { content: "●"; font-size: 1em; position: relative; top: 0px; color: #78be20; text-indent: -20px; padding-right: 10px; } .SessionEvents ul li { padding-left: 23px; text-indent: -23px; } .SessionEvents img { margin-top: 25px; } <div class="container SessionWrapper" id="Value"><div class="row"><h2 class="SessionTitle">Create Value</h2></div><div class="row SessionEvents"><div class="col-md-1"> </div><div class="col-md-10"><h3>A strong environmental stewardship proposition links to value creation in five essential ways.</h3><div class="table-responsive"><table class="table-bordered table-striped"><tbody><tr><th> </th><td>Strong environmental stewardship proposition (examples)</td><td>Weak environmental stewardship proposition (examples)</td></tr><tr><th>Top-line growth</th><td>Attract B2B and B2C customers with more sustainable products<br>Achieve better access to resources through stronger community and government relations</td><td>Lose customers through poor sustainability practices (eg, human rights, supply chain) or a perception of unsustainable/unsafe products<br>Lose access to resources (including from operational shutdowns) as a result of poor community and labor relations</td></tr><tr><th>Cost reductions</th><td>Lower energy consumption Reduce water intake</td><td>Generate unnecessary waste and pay correspondingly higher waste-disposal costs<br>Expend more in packaging costs</td></tr><tr><th>Regulatory and legal interventions</th><td>Achieve greater strategic freedom through deregulation<br>Earn subsides and government support</td><td>Suffer restrictions on advertising and point of sale<br>Incur fines, penalties, and enforcement actions</td></tr><tr><th>Productivity uplift</th><td>Boost employee motivation<br>Attract talent through greater social credibility</td><td>Deal with “social stigma,” which restricts talent pool<br>Lose talent as a result of weak purpose</td></tr><tr><th>Investment and asset optimization</th><td>Enhance investment returns by better allocating capital for the long term (eg, more sustainable plant and equipment)<br>Avoid investments that may not pay off because of longer-term environmental issues</td><td>Suffer stranded assets as a result of premature write-downs<br>Fall behind competitors that have invested to be less “energy hungry”</td></tr></tbody></table></div><p class="center_Lead">Recognizing that health care is competitive in most markets, the value proposition to patients is higher quality care at lower cost with an organization that is promoting wellness in their community and mitigating harmful environmental effects.</p></div><div class="col-md-1"> </div></div></div><div class="container SessionWrapper" id="Reinforce"><div class="row"><h2 class="SessionTitle">Reinforce the Mission</h2></div><div class="row SessionEvents"><div class="col-md-1"> </div><div class="col-md-10"><div class="col-md-6"><h3>The imperative:</h3><p>Environmental factors can affect health and health care delivery, and hospitals deal with these types of impacts frequently. Reducing GHG emissions can help protect the health of patients, employees, and communities.</p><h3>Mission alignment:</h3><p>Health care’s energy intensity and carbon footprint are significant, and hospitals can benefit from reducing the impact.</p><h3>Operational benefits:</h3><p>Reducing energy and GHG emissions leads to cost savings and makes hospitals more resilient in the face of extreme weather events.</p></div><div class="col-md-6"><h3>Cleveland Clinic Environmental Stewardship Pitch Summary</h3><div class="table-responsive"><table class="table-bordered table-striped"><thead><tr><th>Sustainability “hook”</th><th>Sample message for the leader</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Mitigation</td><td>Save $50 million+</td></tr><tr><td>Engagement</td><td>Attract the best</td></tr><tr><td>Resillence</td><td>Adjust to the future</td></tr><tr><td>Relationships</td><td>Build partnerships</td></tr><tr><td>Population health</td><td>Impact regional health</td></tr><tr><td>Societal transformation</td><td>Change the nexus</td></tr><tr><td>Transpersonalism</td><td>Be the change</td></tr><tr><td>Moral obligation</td><td>Do the right thing</td></tr><tr><td>Leadership</td><td>Lead the sector</td></tr></tbody></table><p><strong>Source:</strong> Presented by Jon Utech and Jessica Wolf during CleanMed 2018, “Demystifying Greenhouse Gas and Goal-setting in Health Care”</p></div></div></div><div class="col-md-1"> </div></div></div><div class="container SessionWrapper" id="Reinforce"><div class="row"><h2 class="SessionTitle">Reinforce the Mission</h2></div><div class="row SessionEvents"><div class="col-md-1"> </div><div class="col-md-10"><div class="col-md-6"><blockquote><h3>University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) commits to carbon reductions and clean energy for hospitals</h3><p>“As UAB is a leading academic research institution, healthcare facility and the largest single employer in th estate —effective and sustainable operations are essential to UAB’s mission”</p><p>Ray Watts, President,<br>University of Alabama Birmingham</p></blockquote></div><div class="col-md-6"><blockquote><h3>Health Partners approaches Sustainability and Triple Aim simultaneously</h3><p>“The Future of Health and the Future of Sustainability are bound Together”</p><p>Andrea Walsh, CEO,<br>Health Partners</p></blockquote></div></div><div class="col-md-1"> </div></div></div><div class="container SessionWrapper" id="EnvironmentalRisks"><div class="row"><h2 class="SessionTitle">Environmental Risks to Hospitals</h2></div><div class="row SessionEvents"><div class="col-md-1"> </div><div class="col-md-10"><p class="center_Lead">The harmful effects of the environment are experienced across the U.S., ranging from flooding to wild fires, and extreme temperatures that stress our infrastructure systems beyond their capabilities.</p><p class="center_Lead">In 2020 alone, 22 environmental related disasters caused over $111 billion in losses. Over the last five years, a total of 86 billion-dollar events have totaled $451 billion. Hospitals have emergency response plans for these events, and might recognize the connections between the environment and carbon emissions.</p><p class="center_Lead">These shocks and stressors add to the cost of care, disrupt operations that can prevent timely care, and present significant risks to the health care sector’s ability to serve the community.</p><p class="center_Lead">In underserved communities, these shocks and stressors disproportionally affect people</p><p class="center_Lead">who are least able to prepare for and recover from heat waves, poor air quality, flooding and other impacts.</p><p class="center_Lead">Environmental awareness can help to improve hospital resilience and the community’s ability to absorb and recover from weather and environmental risks.</p><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-07/Sus-2023-Billion-Map.JPG" alt="This map denotes the approximate location for each of the 28 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters that impact the United States in 2003."></div><div class="col-md-1"> </div></div></div><div class="container SessionWrapper" id="RecognizeRisks"><div class="row"><h2 class="SessionTitle">Recognize the Risks and Quantify the Impact</h2></div><div class="row SessionEvents"><div class="col-md-1"> </div><div class="col-md-10"><h3>Risks, Opportunities, and Financial Impact</h3><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-07/Sus-Risks-Opportunities-Financial-Impact.JPG" alt="Visual flow: Transition Risks (Policy & Legal, Technology, Market, Reputation) and Physical Risks (Acute, Chronic) merge into Risks that combine with Opportunities (Resource Efficiency, Energy Source, Products/Services, Markets, Resilience) into Strategic Planning Risk Management, which flows into Financial Impact: breaking out into; Income Statement, Cash Flow Statement, Balance Sheet. Income Statement breaks out into Revenues and Expenditures, and Balance sheet breaks out into Assets & Liabilities and Capital & Financing."><p class="center_Lead">Identifying the near-future environmental risks to operations and quantifying the financial impact of an event allows leadership to incorporate risk management into strategic planning.</p><p class="center_Lead">Environmental stewardship and sustainability projects may reduce the risk, which can be operationalized and support the business case.</p><p class="center_Lead">Keeping the hospital open during weather events will be increasingly challenging, but environmental planning can position for success.</p></div><div class="col-md-1"> </div></div></div><div class="container SessionWrapper" id="ActionSteps"><div class="row"><h2 class="SessionTitle">Immediate Action Steps</h2></div><div class="row SessionEvents"><div class="col-md-1"> </div><div class="col-md-10"><p class="center_Lead">Health care executives and emergency planners have a responsibility to ensure their facilities are safe for staff, patients and visitors.</p> ol.sg-olHeader > li { font-size: 20px; color: #63666A; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.4; font-weight:700 } ol.sg-olHeader > li > ul li { font-size: 20px; color: #63666A; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.4; } ul.sg-ulHeader1 > li{ font-size: 20px; color: #63666A; line-height: 1.4; } <ol class="sg-olHeader"><li>Identify priority environmental impacts specific to your operations/facilities.</li><li>Conduct/update hazard vulnerability assessment (HVA) to include these impacts.</li><li>Update system/facility-level surge plans.</li><li>Incorporate weather events into system/facility-level utility outage plans and alternative sources.</li><li>Work with supply chain partners to plan for emergency supplies to sustain operations.</li><li>Prepare all functions with clear, concise messaging to anticipate operational practices during expected events.</li></ol> .shcItemsLine { border-bottom:solid 1px #005844; margin-top:25px; margin-bottom:50px; } <div class="col-md-10 col-md-offset-1 shcItemsLine"> </div><h3>Questions to discuss the tangible impacts of weather and environment:</h3><ul class="sg-ulHeader1"><li>What are the new risks we are encountering related to the environment?</li><li>Will virus related changes affect the response?</li><li>Can building systems continue to meet temperature and humidity requirements?</li></ul></div><div class="col-md-1"> </div></div></div><div class="container SessionWrapper" id="Financial"><div class="row"><h2 class="SessionTitle">Financial Sustainability</h2></div><div class="row SessionEvents"><div class="col-md-1"> </div><div class="col-md-10"><p class="center_Lead">A 2022 Deloitte survey shows CFOs see their contributions as:</p><ul class="sg-ulHeader1"><li>Supporting the business case for investments.</li><li>Meeting reporting disclosure standards and requirements.</li><li>Tracking progress with KPIs.</li></ul><p class="center_Lead"><strong>Investments, banking, and lending can have significant scope 3 emissions. CFOs are recognizing this and taking action.</strong></p><h3>Finance’s expected impact</h3><p class="center_Lead">Looking ahead, what do you believe will likely have been the most impactful change that you and/or your finance organization will have made to address sustainability? (N=53)</p><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-07/Sus-Finances.png" alt="Bar graph: 30% Building / evaluating business cases for investments, 30% Meeting reporting disclosure standards and requirements, 27% Providing data, KPIs targets and reporting on progress, 9% Financing investments, 3% Other"></div><div class="col-md-1"> </div></div></div><div class="container SessionWrapper" id="Investments"><div class="row"><h2 class="SessionTitle">Investments and the Foundation</h2></div><div class="row SessionEvents"><div class="col-md-1"> </div><div class="col-md-10"><p class="center_Lead">Investments can represent 20 to 30% of scope 3 emissions in health care operations, depending on investment strategies. The financial sector has recognized an interest in organizations wishing to build sustainable investments by offering some mechanisms for sustainable investing.</p><p class="center_Lead">In addition, some health care foundations seek investments that actively support projects to help communities adapt to environmental factors and also have a desirable return on investment.</p></div><div class="col-md-1"> </div></div></div><div class="container SessionWrapper" id="Question"><div class="row"><h2 class="SessionTitle">The Power of Asking the Question</h2></div><div class="row SessionEvents"><div class="col-md-1"> </div><div class="col-md-10"><h3>Can you transform the marketplace by asking a question?</h3><p class="center_Lead">A free market economy self regulates with supply and demand. Innovations can reduce costs and give suppliers an edge. Customers can also drive innovation, but customers need to inform the marketplace of their interests. Asking suppliers if they can meet environmental stewardship and sustainability targets is a great place to start.</p><p class="center_Lead">In the case of health care, medical supplies and equipment need to be cost-effective and meet specific criteria for their clinical use. Quality cannot be compromised in the interest of sustainability — and this is where opportunities exist for innovation.</p><p class="center_Lead">The construction industry has a great example of transforming the marketplace by encouraging innovation with a clear goal: to reduce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in paint. Glidden Company developed the first VOC-free coatings in 1992, but they had significantly higher cost. In the 2000s, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system incentivized construction projects to use low-VOC paint, so architects and contractors began asking the question, “Can you meet this target?”</p><p class="center_Lead">Innovations to reduce carbon and improve sustainability are possible in health care. Health care systems should ask the question to inform and incentivize the market.</p><div class="row"><div class="col-md-10 col-md-offset-1 shcItemsLine"> </div></div><p class="center_Lead"><strong>Banking, lending, insurance</strong> all have associated scope 3 emissions in health care. At your next opportunity, ask these partners:</p><ul class="sg-ulHeader1"><li>How is their business addressing environmental stewardship through their internal operations?</li><li>Can their business offer any programs that promote environmental stewardship?</li><li>How is their business addressing environmental stewardship in their investments?</li></ul></div><div class="col-md-1"> </div></div></div> Fri, 18 Jul 2025 19:00:00 -0500 Decarbonization /sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/board <div class="raw-html-embed"> </div><div class="raw-html-embed"> .Banner_Title_Overlay_Bar { position: relative; display: block; overflow: hidden; max-width: 1170px; margin: 0px auto 0px auto; } .LogoInsert { position: absolute; top: 0px; height:100%; left:0px; } .LogoInsert img{ max-width:500px; max-height:125px; top:calc(50% - 125px/2); left:calc(100% + 50px); position:absolute; } .LogoInsert h1{ position:absolute; left:0px; bottom:0px; width:500px; opacity:0; margin: 0px; padding: 0; } @media (max-width:640px) { .LogoBG { object-fit: cover; height: 200px; } .LogoInsert img { max-width: 250px; left: calc(100% + 15px); top: calc(50% - 112px/2); background-color: #00584499; padding: 25px; border-radius: 30px 0px; } } @media (max-width:320px) { .LogoBG { height: 150px; } } <header class="Banner_Title_Overlay_Bar"> <img alt="Banner Image - Glass Earth sitting in a hand over tall grass" class="LogoBG" src="/sites/default/files/2023-03/sustainability-roadmap-web-home-banner-1170x250.jpg"> <div class="LogoInsert"> <img alt="Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care | Achieving Your Sustainability Goals - Logo" src="/sites/default/files/2023-03/SustainabilityRoadmap_Logo_Hor-white_700x217.png"></div> </header> </div> .shcIntro{ background-color:#78be2022; padding: 5px 50px 15px 50px; margin-bottom:20px; } .shcIntro h1, .shcIntro h2, .shcIntro h3 { color: #005844; text-align: center; } .shcIntro h1{ font-size:2em; } .shcIntro h2{ font-size:1.6em; } shcIntro ul{ color: grey; } <div class="shcIntro"><h1>The Board's Guide to Environmental Stewardship</h1></div><div class="raw-html-embed"> <div class="row"> /* TocMini */ .TocMini { margin: 0px auto 25px; padding-bottom: 5px; color: #005844; letter-spacing: 1.5px; font-weight: 400; font-size: .7em; width: 80%; } .TocMini .TocMiniBar { border: 1px solid #78be20; padding: 5px 10px; overflow: auto; border-radius: 20px 0px; } .TocMini .TocMiniBar .TocMiniGroup a:after { content: "|"; padding: 0 3px 0 6px; color: #253b80; font-weight: 700; } .TocMini .TocMiniBar .TocMiniGroup a:last-child:after { content: ""; } .TocMini .TocMiniGroup { float: right; } .TocMini .TocMiniHome { text-transform: uppercase; color: #005844; font-weight: 700; } .TocMini .TocMiniChild { font-weight: 500; opacity: .9; color: #555; } .TocMini .TocMiniHome:hover, .TocMini .TocMiniChild:hover { text-transform: ; color: #5fa1d0; } .TocMini .TocMiniActive{ font-weight: 700; color: #5fa1d0; } /* TocMini // */ <div class="TocMini"> <div class="TocMiniBar"> <a class="TocMiniHome" href="/sustainability" target="_blank" title="Home - Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care">Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care</a> <div class="TocMiniGroup"> <a class="TocMiniChild" href="https://www.ashe.org/sustainability" target="_blank" title="ASHE Sustainability for Health Care Facilities">Sustainability for Health Care Facilities</a> <a class="TocMiniChild" href="/sustainability/glossary" target="_blank" title="Glossary">Glossary</a> <a class="TocMiniChild" href="https://www.ashe.org/sustainability/healquest" target="_blank" title="HealQuest">HealQuest<sup>TM</sup></a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> .btn-primary { background-color: #005844; } .shcItemsLine { border-bottom:solid 1px #78be20; margin-top:10px; margin-bottom:25px; } .shcHighlight h3{ color:#333; font-size:16px; text-align:center; margin:0px } .shcHighlight span{ font-weight:700; color:#78be20; } p.center_Lead, ul li.center_Lead{ color: #63666A; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.4; font-size: 20px; } <div class="row shcHighlight BulletCircle"><div class="col-sm-6 col-md-7"><p class="center_Lead">Boards are charged with maximizing the value of an organization and they are increasingly acknowledging the opportunities and risks that sustainability and environmental stewardship present. As ambassadors for the organization, board members act as stewards for the long term and understand the priority impact areas around sustainability, which also inform long-term strategy.</p><div class="col-md-10 col-md-offset-1 shcItemsLine"> </div></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-md-5"> <div data-entity-type="webform" data-entity-uuid="82c58bca-9296-40b2-8941-0c6929d9ef6b" data-embed-button="webform_embed" data-entity-embed-display="view_mode:webform.token" data-langcode="en" data-entity-embed-display-settings="[]" class="embedded-entity"> <div class="antibot-no-js antibot-message antibot-message-warning">You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form.</div> <div id="edit-sustainability-menu-code--2" class="js-form-item form-item js-form-type-processed-text form-item- js-form-item- form-no-label"> <div class="raw-html-embed"> .webform-submission-form { margin: 0em auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 0 0px; .ResourceHolder-1 { background-color: #78be2022; padding: 25px 9px; display: inline-block; border-radius: 50px 50px 0 0; width: 100% } .ResourceHolder-1 h2 { color: ; line-height: 18px; font-size: 18px; margin: 10px 0 15px 0; text-align:center; } .ResourceHolder-1 h2 a { color: #005844; } .ResourceHolder-1 h2 a:hover { color: #4579bc; } <div class="ResourceHolder-1"> <div class="col-md-4"> <a href="/system/files/media/file/2025/03/Leaders-Guide-Environmental-Stewardship.pdf" target="_blank" title="The Health Care Leader's Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-07/Sus-Guide-Cover-777x600.png" alt="Cover image of the AHA's guide: The Health Care Leader's Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship" width="100%"></a> </div> <div class="col-md-8"> <h2><a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide" title="Start at the begining of the Guide: The Health Care Leader's Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship">The Health Care Leader’s Guide</a></h2> .RuralAgendaTOC { text-align: center; font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px; background-color: ; padding: 0 15px 15px 15px; } .RuralAgendaTOC a:link { color: #005844; text-decoration: none; } .RuralAgendaTOC a:hover { color: #FED141aa; } .RuralAgendaTOC a:hover { color: #4579bc; ; } .RuralAgendaTOC a:active { color: green; } <h3>Sections:</h3> <div class="RuralAgendaTOC"> <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/team" title="Go to section on: The Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship Team">Sustainability Team </a>| <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/ceos" title="Go to section on: CEO’s Guide">CEO </a>| <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/coos" title="Go to section on: COO’s Guide">COO </a>| <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/cfos" title="Go to section on: CFO’s Guide">CFO </a>| <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/board" title="Go to section on: Board's Guide">Board </a>| <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/business-case" title="Go to section on: The Business Case">Business Case</a> </div> <div> <a class="btn btn-primary btn-wide" href="/system/files/media/file/2025/03/Leaders-Guide-Environmental-Stewardship.pdf" target="_blank" title="Download the printable version: The Health Care Leader's Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship">Printable Version</a> </div> </div> </div></div> </div> <div class="homepage-textfield js-form-wrapper form-wrapper"><div class="js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textfield form-item-homepage js-form-item-homepage"> Leave this field blank </div> </div> </div></div></div><div class="row spacer"> @media (min-width:720px){ .srIntro2{ column-count: 2; } } <div class="col-md-12 srIntro2"><p class="center_Lead">Environmental stewardship should now be considered a supporting element of the health care mission to heal and promote well-being. The field is encouraged to recognize and acknowledge community expectations regarding environmental stewardship, along with the risks the environment poses to hospitals’ physical assets. As such, the sector’s actions merit support for creating a new avenue for financial savings through the reduction of energy, water, and carbon emissions, with health care organizations considering environmental stewardship among its strategic initiatives. As such, the sector’s actions merit support for worldwide reductions in carbon emissions, with health care organization considering the inclusion of sustainability and decarbonization among its strategic initiatives.</p><p class="center_Lead">The board of directors is uniquely positioned to consider both the opportunities and risks the environment presents to the organization. Charged with maximizing the value of the organization and acting in the organization’s best interest, the board of directors recognizes the savings opportunities, environmental risks, and environmental awareness of the community.</p></div></div><h2 class="text-align-center">Sections</h2> .Sticky { position: sticky; top: 0; background-color: #fff; z-index: 1000; border-radius: 0 0 25px 25px; z-index:1000; color: #78be20; width: fit-content; margin: auto; padding: 0px 10px 5px; font-size:14px; } .Sticky nav p{ font-size:14px; font-weight:700; line-height:13px } @media (max-width:790px){ .Sticky nav p{ font-size:11px; } } .Sticky a { color: #005844; text-decoration: none; } .Sticky .scroll-watcher { height: 10px; position: relative; top: 0; left: 0; z-index: 1000; background-color: #78be20; width: 100%; scale: 0 1; transform-origin: left; animation: scroll-watcher linear; animation-timeline: scroll(y); } @keyframes scroll-watcher { to { scale: 1 1; } } <div class="scroll-watcher"> </div><nav><p><a href="#Responsibility">The Board’s Responsibility</a> | <a href="#Recommendations">Recommendations for the Board of Directors</a></p></nav> .SessionWrapper { border: solid 2px #005844; margin-bottom: 20px; } h2.SessionTitle { font-weight: 700; background-color: #00584422; color: #005844; padding: 15px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 25px; font-size: 33px; } .SessionEvents { margin-bottom: 30px; display:inline-block; } .SessionEvents br { margin-bottom: 10px; } .SessionEvents h3 { font-size: 30px; } .SessionEvents h4 { color: #9d2235; } .SessionEvents ul { list-style: none; /* Remove default bullets */ padding-left: 25px; margin-bottom: 25px; } .SessionEvents ul li { margin-bottom: 7px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 16px; } .SessionEvents ul li::before { content: "●"; font-size: 1em; position: relative; top: 0px; color: #78be20; text-indent: -20px; padding-right: 10px; } .SessionEvents ul li { padding-left: 23px; text-indent: -23px; } .SessionEvents img { margin-top: 25px; } <div class="container SessionWrapper" id="Responsibility"><div class="row"><h2 class="SessionTitle">The Board’s Responsibility</h2></div><div class="row SessionEvents"><div class="col-md-1"> </div><div class="col-md-10"><p class="center_Lead">While the board’s duty is to oversee the organization, the words and actions of individual board members can elevate strategic initiatives and strengthen the culture of the organization. Board members are ambassadors for the organization and have a responsibility to help the CEO be successful.</p><p class="center_Lead">The board often acts as stewards for the long term, and helps to evaluate the impact the environment has on business performance. The board can oversee a materiality assessment to understand priority areas and inform long-term strategy. Organizations might formalize the board’s role by including references to environmental stewardship in the board’s charters and annual training.</p><p class="center_Lead">If sustainability and environmental stewardship are new concepts to the board of directors, there are resources available on the Sustainability Roadmap that provide insights and resources for the health care enterprise, including operations, procurement, purchasing, maintenance, and new models of care.</p><p class="center_Lead">U.S. health care systems are beginning to make structural changes to support the strategic initiative of sustainability as a transformational program for their organizations.</p><p class="center_Lead">Organizations that learn from other leaders will celebrate achievements along the way, garnering support from stakeholders and positioning the organization to maximize value.</p></div><div class="col-md-1"> </div></div></div><div class="container SessionWrapper" id="Recommendations"><div class="row"><h2 class="SessionTitle">Recommendations for the Board of Directors</h2></div><div class="row SessionEvents"><div class="col-md-1"> </div><div class="col-md-10"> ol.sg-olHeader > li { font-size: 20px; color: #63666A; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.4; font-weight:700 } ol.sg-olHeader > li > ul li { font-size: 20px; color: #63666A; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.4; } <ol class="sg-olHeader"><li>Become familiar with and learn about the principles of environmental stewardship.</li><li>Review/oversee a materiality assessment to understand the impact the environment plays on business performance.</li><li>Consider formalizing the board’s role by including environmental stewardship and sustainability as priorities in the board manual, charters, and annual training.</li><li>Plan regular board trainings on sustainability and environmental stewardship in health care.</li><li>Support and oversee management efforts to track progress towards the plan.</li><li>Create a board committee or include environmental stewardship discussions in an existing board committee.</li><li>Board members, in their roles as ambassadors, could consider reinforcing the importance of environmental stewardship in the community.</li></ol></div><div class="col-md-1"> </div></div></div> Fri, 18 Jul 2025 19:00:00 -0500 Decarbonization /sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/cfos <div class="raw-html-embed"> </div><div class="raw-html-embed"> .Banner_Title_Overlay_Bar { position: relative; display: block; overflow: hidden; max-width: 1170px; margin: 0px auto 0px auto; } .LogoInsert { position: absolute; top: 0px; height:100%; left:0px; } .LogoInsert img{ max-width:500px; max-height:125px; top:calc(50% - 125px/2); left:calc(100% + 50px); position:absolute; } .LogoInsert h1{ position:absolute; left:0px; bottom:0px; width:500px; opacity:0; margin: 0px; padding: 0; } @media (max-width:640px) { .LogoBG { object-fit: cover; height: 200px; } .LogoInsert img { max-width: 250px; left: calc(100% + 15px); top: calc(50% - 112px/2); background-color: #00584499; padding: 25px; border-radius: 30px 0px; } } @media (max-width:320px) { .LogoBG { height: 150px; } } <header class="Banner_Title_Overlay_Bar"> <img alt="Banner Image - Glass Earth sitting in a hand over tall grass" class="LogoBG" src="/sites/default/files/2023-03/sustainability-roadmap-web-home-banner-1170x250.jpg"> <div class="LogoInsert"> <img alt="Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care | Achieving Your Sustainability Goals - Logo" src="/sites/default/files/2023-03/SustainabilityRoadmap_Logo_Hor-white_700x217.png"></div> </header> </div> .shcIntro{ background-color:#78be2022; padding: 5px 50px 15px 50px; margin-bottom:20px; } .shcIntro h1, .shcIntro h2, .shcIntro h3 { color: #005844; text-align: center; } .shcIntro h1{ font-size:2em; } .shcIntro h2{ font-size:1.6em; } shcIntro ul{ color: grey; } <div class="shcIntro"><h1>The CFO’s Guide to Environmental Stewardship</h1></div><div class="raw-html-embed"> <div class="row"> /* TocMini */ .TocMini { margin: 0px auto 25px; padding-bottom: 5px; color: #005844; letter-spacing: 1.5px; font-weight: 400; font-size: .7em; width: 80%; } .TocMini .TocMiniBar { border: 1px solid #78be20; padding: 5px 10px; overflow: auto; border-radius: 20px 0px; } .TocMini .TocMiniBar .TocMiniGroup a:after { content: "|"; padding: 0 3px 0 6px; color: #253b80; font-weight: 700; } .TocMini .TocMiniBar .TocMiniGroup a:last-child:after { content: ""; } .TocMini .TocMiniGroup { float: right; } .TocMini .TocMiniHome { text-transform: uppercase; color: #005844; font-weight: 700; } .TocMini .TocMiniChild { font-weight: 500; opacity: .9; color: #555; } .TocMini .TocMiniHome:hover, .TocMini .TocMiniChild:hover { text-transform: ; color: #5fa1d0; } .TocMini .TocMiniActive{ font-weight: 700; color: #5fa1d0; } /* TocMini // */ <div class="TocMini"> <div class="TocMiniBar"> <a class="TocMiniHome" href="/sustainability" target="_blank" title="Home - Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care">Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care</a> <div class="TocMiniGroup"> <a class="TocMiniChild" href="https://www.ashe.org/sustainability" target="_blank" title="ASHE Sustainability for Health Care Facilities">Sustainability for Health Care Facilities</a> <a class="TocMiniChild" href="/sustainability/glossary" target="_blank" title="Glossary">Glossary</a> <a class="TocMiniChild" href="https://www.ashe.org/sustainability/healquest" target="_blank" title="HealQuest">HealQuest<sup>TM</sup></a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> .btn-primary { background-color: #005844; } .shcItemsLine { border-bottom:solid 1px #78be20; margin-top:10px; margin-bottom:25px; } .shcHighlight h3{ color:#333; font-size:16px; text-align:center; margin:0px } .shcHighlight span{ font-weight:700; color:#78be20; } p.center_Lead, ul li.center_Lead{ color: #63666A; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.4; font-size: 20px; } <div class="row shcHighlight BulletCircle"><div class="col-sm-6 col-md-7"><p class="center_Lead">Finance teams led by the chief financial officer support sustainability and environmental stewardship initiatives through bolstering the value proposition, defining outcomes, and tracking and measuring progress toward sustainability goals. Whether through analyzing pricing or assessing risk, CFO’s play an integral role in in environmental stewardship.</p><div class="col-md-10 col-md-offset-1 shcItemsLine"> </div></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-md-5"> <div data-entity-type="webform" data-entity-uuid="82c58bca-9296-40b2-8941-0c6929d9ef6b" data-embed-button="webform_embed" data-entity-embed-display="view_mode:webform.token" data-langcode="en" data-entity-embed-display-settings="[]" class="embedded-entity"> <div class="antibot-no-js antibot-message antibot-message-warning">You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form.</div> <div id="edit-sustainability-menu-code--3" class="js-form-item form-item js-form-type-processed-text form-item- js-form-item- form-no-label"> <div class="raw-html-embed"> .webform-submission-form { margin: 0em auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 0 0px; .ResourceHolder-1 { background-color: #78be2022; padding: 25px 9px; display: inline-block; border-radius: 50px 50px 0 0; width: 100% } .ResourceHolder-1 h2 { color: ; line-height: 18px; font-size: 18px; margin: 10px 0 15px 0; text-align:center; } .ResourceHolder-1 h2 a { color: #005844; } .ResourceHolder-1 h2 a:hover { color: #4579bc; } <div class="ResourceHolder-1"> <div class="col-md-4"> <a href="/system/files/media/file/2025/03/Leaders-Guide-Environmental-Stewardship.pdf" target="_blank" title="The Health Care Leader's Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-07/Sus-Guide-Cover-777x600.png" alt="Cover image of the AHA's guide: The Health Care Leader's Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship" width="100%"></a> </div> <div class="col-md-8"> <h2><a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide" title="Start at the begining of the Guide: The Health Care Leader's Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship">The Health Care Leader’s Guide</a></h2> .RuralAgendaTOC { text-align: center; font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px; background-color: ; padding: 0 15px 15px 15px; } .RuralAgendaTOC a:link { color: #005844; text-decoration: none; } .RuralAgendaTOC a:hover { color: #FED141aa; } .RuralAgendaTOC a:hover { color: #4579bc; ; } .RuralAgendaTOC a:active { color: green; } <h3>Sections:</h3> <div class="RuralAgendaTOC"> <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/team" title="Go to section on: The Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship Team">Sustainability Team </a>| <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/ceos" title="Go to section on: CEO’s Guide">CEO </a>| <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/coos" title="Go to section on: COO’s Guide">COO </a>| <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/cfos" title="Go to section on: CFO’s Guide">CFO </a>| <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/board" title="Go to section on: Board's Guide">Board </a>| <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/business-case" title="Go to section on: The Business Case">Business Case</a> </div> <div> <a class="btn btn-primary btn-wide" href="/system/files/media/file/2025/03/Leaders-Guide-Environmental-Stewardship.pdf" target="_blank" title="Download the printable version: The Health Care Leader's Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship">Printable Version</a> </div> </div> </div></div> </div> <div class="homepage-textfield js-form-wrapper form-wrapper"><div class="js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textfield form-item-homepage js-form-item-homepage"> Leave this field blank </div> </div> </div></div></div><div class="row spacer"><div class="col-md-4"><p class="center_Lead">Sustainability initiatives in health care organizations should include operational practices and focused projects — both of which require funding. As a key voice in the financial analysis for these projects and initiatives, the chief financial officer and finance team can support the value proposition by helping to define expected outcomes. Finance teams also have the skills to support internal measurement and tracking to monitor progress towards sustainability goals.</p></div><div class="col-md-4"><p class="center_Lead"><strong>KPIs for sustainability and decarbonization may include:</strong></p><ul><li class="center_Lead">Energy consumption and associated emissions.</li><li class="center_Lead">Fuel consumption in owned and leased vehicles and calculated emissions.</li><li class="center_Lead">Emissions from business travel.</li><li class="center_Lead">Emissions from anesthetics.</li></ul></div><div class="col-md-4"><p class="center_Lead"><strong>Because 80% of health care emissions are from purchased goods and services:</strong></p><ul><li class="center_Lead">Track spending to analyze scope 3 emissions within the organization.</li><li class="center_Lead">Work with operations and procurement to identify suppliers that can reduce scope 3 emissions.</li></ul></div></div><div class="row spacer"><div class="col-sm-6"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-07/Sus-GHG-Emissions.png" alt="Hospital GHG Emissions Impact by Category, a visual graph of items shown between Ease of Data Collection and Mitigation Opportunity"></div><div class="col-sm-6"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-07/Sus-Quote-Jamie.png" alt="Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, 'We have a goal to reduce the carbon intensity of our financing portfolio… and we are minimizing the environmental impact of our physical operations.'"></div></div><h2 class="text-align-center">Sections</h2> .Sticky { position: sticky; top: 0; background-color: #fff; z-index: 1000; border-radius: 0 0 25px 25px; z-index:1000; color: #78be20; width: fit-content; margin: auto; padding: 0px 10px 5px; font-size:14px; } .Sticky nav p{ font-size:14px; font-weight:700; line-height:13px } @media (max-width:790px){ .Sticky nav p{ font-size:11px; } } .Sticky a { color: #005844; text-decoration: none; } .Sticky .scroll-watcher { height: 10px; position: relative; top: 0; left: 0; z-index: 1000; background-color: #78be20; width: 100%; scale: 0 1; transform-origin: left; animation: scroll-watcher linear; animation-timeline: scroll(y); } @keyframes scroll-watcher { to { scale: 1 1; } } <div class="scroll-watcher"> </div><nav><p><a href="#Benchmarking">Benchmarking Outside of Health Care</a> | <a href="#Recommendations">Recommendations for the Health Care CFO</a></p></nav> .SessionWrapper { border: solid 2px #005844; margin-bottom: 20px; } h2.SessionTitle { font-weight: 700; background-color: #00584422; color: #005844; padding: 15px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 25px; font-size: 33px; } .SessionEvents { margin-bottom: 30px; display:inline-block; } .SessionEvents br { margin-bottom: 10px; } .SessionEvents h3 { font-size: 30px; } .SessionEvents h4 { color: #9d2235; } .SessionEvents ul { list-style: none; /* Remove default bullets */ padding-left: 25px; margin-bottom: 25px; } .SessionEvents ul li { margin-bottom: 7px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 16px; } .SessionEvents ul li::before { content: "●"; font-size: 1em; position: relative; top: 0px; color: #78be20; text-indent: -20px; padding-right: 10px; } .SessionEvents ul li { padding-left: 23px; text-indent: -23px; } .SessionEvents img { margin-top: 25px; } <div class="container SessionWrapper" id="Benchmarking"><div class="row"><h2 class="SessionTitle">Benchmarking Outside of Health Care</h2></div><div class="row SessionEvents"><div class="col-md-1"> </div><div class="col-md-10"><p class="center_Lead">Some chief financial officers (CFOs) are treating non-financial KPIs and targets with the same prudence as traditional financial targets and linking sustainability to value drivers.</p><p class="center_Lead">68% of CFOs globally take responsibility for their organization’s environmental stewardship performance.</p><p class="center_Lead">73% of investors surveyed say they will devote considerable time and attention to evaluating the physical risk implications from the environment when they make asset allocation and selection decisions (see figure).</p><div class="row"><div class="col-sm-6"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-07/Sus-Percentage-respondents.png" alt="Percentage of respondents who say they usually conduct a structured, methodical evaluation of nonfinancial disclosures. 27%, 32%, 72%"></div><div class="col-sm-6"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-07/Sus-Framework-environmental.png" alt="Framework for environmental stewardship reporting (TCFD); Governance, Strategy, Risk Management, Metrics, and Targets are each displayed in smaller concentric circles."></div></div></div><div class="col-md-1"> </div></div></div><div class="container SessionWrapper" id="Recommendations"><div class="row"><h2 class="SessionTitle">Recommendations for the Health Care CFO</h2></div><div class="row SessionEvents"><div class="col-md-1"> </div><div class="col-md-10"> ol.sg-olHeader > li { font-size: 20px; color: #63666A; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.4; font-weight:700 } ol.sg-olHeader > li > ul li { font-size: 20px; color: #63666A; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.4; } <ol class="sg-olHeader"><li>Review financial analysis practices to recognize environmental impacts. For example:<ul><li>Assess risk to disruption in operations.</li></ul></li><li>Inquire with financing, banking and insurance providers about environmental stewardship practices:<ul><li>Competition in the marketplace creates incentives for providers to innovate in environmental stewardship, if they understand the organization values it.</li><li>How do partners incorporate sustainability in the services they offer?</li></ul></li><li>Recognize sustainability in non-financial reporting for your organization:<ul><li>Annual environmental stewardship report</li></ul></li></ol></div><div class="col-md-1"> </div></div></div> Fri, 18 Jul 2025 19:00:00 -0500 Decarbonization /sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/coos <div class="raw-html-embed"> </div><div class="raw-html-embed"> .Banner_Title_Overlay_Bar { position: relative; display: block; overflow: hidden; max-width: 1170px; margin: 0px auto 0px auto; } .LogoInsert { position: absolute; top: 0px; height:100%; left:0px; } .LogoInsert img{ max-width:500px; max-height:125px; top:calc(50% - 125px/2); left:calc(100% + 50px); position:absolute; } .LogoInsert h1{ position:absolute; left:0px; bottom:0px; width:500px; opacity:0; margin: 0px; padding: 0; } @media (max-width:640px) { .LogoBG { object-fit: cover; height: 200px; } .LogoInsert img { max-width: 250px; left: calc(100% + 15px); top: calc(50% - 112px/2); background-color: #00584499; padding: 25px; border-radius: 30px 0px; } } @media (max-width:320px) { .LogoBG { height: 150px; } } <header class="Banner_Title_Overlay_Bar"> <img alt="Banner Image - Glass Earth sitting in a hand over tall grass" class="LogoBG" src="/sites/default/files/2023-03/sustainability-roadmap-web-home-banner-1170x250.jpg"> <div class="LogoInsert"> <img alt="Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care | Achieving Your Sustainability Goals - Logo" src="/sites/default/files/2023-03/SustainabilityRoadmap_Logo_Hor-white_700x217.png"></div> </header> </div> .shcIntro{ background-color:#78be2022; padding: 5px 50px 15px 50px; margin-bottom:20px; } .shcIntro h1, .shcIntro h2, .shcIntro h3 { color: #005844; text-align: center; } .shcIntro h1{ font-size:2em; } .shcIntro h2{ font-size:1.6em; } shcIntro ul{ color: grey; } <div class="shcIntro"><h1>The COO’s Guide to Environmental Stewardship</h1></div><div class="raw-html-embed"> <div class="row"> /* TocMini */ .TocMini { margin: 0px auto 25px; padding-bottom: 5px; color: #005844; letter-spacing: 1.5px; font-weight: 400; font-size: .7em; width: 80%; } .TocMini .TocMiniBar { border: 1px solid #78be20; padding: 5px 10px; overflow: auto; border-radius: 20px 0px; } .TocMini .TocMiniBar .TocMiniGroup a:after { content: "|"; padding: 0 3px 0 6px; color: #253b80; font-weight: 700; } .TocMini .TocMiniBar .TocMiniGroup a:last-child:after { content: ""; } .TocMini .TocMiniGroup { float: right; } .TocMini .TocMiniHome { text-transform: uppercase; color: #005844; font-weight: 700; } .TocMini .TocMiniChild { font-weight: 500; opacity: .9; color: #555; } .TocMini .TocMiniHome:hover, .TocMini .TocMiniChild:hover { text-transform: ; color: #5fa1d0; } .TocMini .TocMiniActive{ font-weight: 700; color: #5fa1d0; } /* TocMini // */ <div class="TocMini"> <div class="TocMiniBar"> <a class="TocMiniHome" href="/sustainability" target="_blank" title="Home - Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care">Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care</a> <div class="TocMiniGroup"> <a class="TocMiniChild" href="https://www.ashe.org/sustainability" target="_blank" title="ASHE Sustainability for Health Care Facilities">Sustainability for Health Care Facilities</a> <a class="TocMiniChild" href="/sustainability/glossary" target="_blank" title="Glossary">Glossary</a> <a class="TocMiniChild" href="https://www.ashe.org/sustainability/healquest" target="_blank" title="HealQuest">HealQuest<sup>TM</sup></a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> .btn-primary { background-color: #005844; } .shcItemsLine { border-bottom:solid 1px #78be20; margin-top:10px; margin-bottom:25px; } .shcHighlight h3{ color:#333; font-size:16px; text-align:center; margin:0px } .shcHighlight span{ font-weight:700; color:#78be20; } p.center_Lead, ul li.center_Lead{ color: #63666A; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.4; font-size: 20px; } <div class="row shcHighlight BulletCircle"><div class="col-sm-6 col-md-7"><p class="center_Lead">Chief operating officers hold a unique opportunity to build and empower teams and accelerate environmental stewardship initiatives. Recognizing that all functional roles can impact sustainability, the COO can support individuals and teams to promote cross-functional teamwork and stimulate innovative sustainability solutions throughout the operations of the organization.</p><div class="col-md-10 col-md-offset-1 shcItemsLine"> </div></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-md-5"> <div data-entity-type="webform" data-entity-uuid="82c58bca-9296-40b2-8941-0c6929d9ef6b" data-embed-button="webform_embed" data-entity-embed-display="view_mode:webform.token" data-langcode="en" data-entity-embed-display-settings="[]" class="embedded-entity"> <div class="antibot-no-js antibot-message antibot-message-warning">You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form.</div> <div id="edit-sustainability-menu-code--4" class="js-form-item form-item js-form-type-processed-text form-item- js-form-item- form-no-label"> <div class="raw-html-embed"> .webform-submission-form { margin: 0em auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 0 0px; .ResourceHolder-1 { background-color: #78be2022; padding: 25px 9px; display: inline-block; border-radius: 50px 50px 0 0; width: 100% } .ResourceHolder-1 h2 { color: ; line-height: 18px; font-size: 18px; margin: 10px 0 15px 0; text-align:center; } .ResourceHolder-1 h2 a { color: #005844; } .ResourceHolder-1 h2 a:hover { color: #4579bc; } <div class="ResourceHolder-1"> <div class="col-md-4"> <a href="/system/files/media/file/2025/03/Leaders-Guide-Environmental-Stewardship.pdf" target="_blank" title="The Health Care Leader's Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-07/Sus-Guide-Cover-777x600.png" alt="Cover image of the AHA's guide: The Health Care Leader's Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship" width="100%"></a> </div> <div class="col-md-8"> <h2><a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide" title="Start at the begining of the Guide: The Health Care Leader's Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship">The Health Care Leader’s Guide</a></h2> .RuralAgendaTOC { text-align: center; font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px; background-color: ; padding: 0 15px 15px 15px; } .RuralAgendaTOC a:link { color: #005844; text-decoration: none; } .RuralAgendaTOC a:hover { color: #FED141aa; } .RuralAgendaTOC a:hover { color: #4579bc; ; } .RuralAgendaTOC a:active { color: green; } <h3>Sections:</h3> <div class="RuralAgendaTOC"> <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/team" title="Go to section on: The Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship Team">Sustainability Team </a>| <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/ceos" title="Go to section on: CEO’s Guide">CEO </a>| <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/coos" title="Go to section on: COO’s Guide">COO </a>| <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/cfos" title="Go to section on: CFO’s Guide">CFO </a>| <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/board" title="Go to section on: Board's Guide">Board </a>| <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/business-case" title="Go to section on: The Business Case">Business Case</a> </div> <div> <a class="btn btn-primary btn-wide" href="/system/files/media/file/2025/03/Leaders-Guide-Environmental-Stewardship.pdf" target="_blank" title="Download the printable version: The Health Care Leader's Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship">Printable Version</a> </div> </div> </div></div> </div> <div class="homepage-textfield js-form-wrapper form-wrapper"><div class="js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textfield form-item-homepage js-form-item-homepage"> Leave this field blank </div> </div> </div></div></div><div class="row spacer"><div class="col-md-6"><p class="center_Lead">As the leader responsible for health care operations, the chief operating officer’s actions can effectively accelerate environmental stewardship initiatives. Conversely, without COO support, meaningful improvements in environmental stewardship are unlikely. The COO need not be an expert in sustainability but must actively strive to integrate sustainability into business processes.</p><p class="center_Lead">The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) uses the triple aim as a framework to optimize health system performance, which can also be applied to environmental stewardship. The triple aim seeks improvements in health care by optimizing practices that:</p><ul><li class="center_Lead">Improve the patient experience.</li><li class="center_Lead">Improve population health.</li><li class="center_Lead">Reduce per capita costs of care.</li></ul></div><div class="col-md-6"><p class="center_Lead">The IHI says it recognizes that improvements happen when teams have the will, which unlocks ideas that are supported for implementation.</p><p class="center_Lead">Tapping into this familiar thought process, organizations can seek out improvements for environmental stewardship. The COO can recognize that all functional roles impact sustainability in health care and empower individuals to participate in problem-solving to help with employee recruitment and retention. Framing sustainability as a growth mindset helps to identify areas for improvement, promote cross-functional teamwork and stimulate solutions — many likely to come from the supply chain.</p><p class="center_Lead">Any strategic initiative must have leadership. While sustainability teams can be a great way to start, too often they are composed of only volunteers. Environmental stewardship could be included in job descriptions for supervisors to support the initiative. When individuals have clear support for these efforts, they give it the time it needs.</p></div></div><h2 class="text-align-center">Sections</h2> .Sticky { position: sticky; top: 0; background-color: #fff; z-index: 1000; border-radius: 0 0 25px 25px; z-index:1000; color: #78be20; width: fit-content; margin: auto; padding: 0px 10px 5px; font-size:14px; } .Sticky nav p{ font-size:14px; font-weight:700; line-height:13px } @media (max-width:790px){ .Sticky nav p{ font-size:11px; } } .Sticky a { color: #005844; text-decoration: none; } .Sticky .scroll-watcher { height: 10px; position: relative; top: 0; left: 0; z-index: 1000; background-color: #78be20; width: 100%; scale: 0 1; transform-origin: left; animation: scroll-watcher linear; animation-timeline: scroll(y); } @keyframes scroll-watcher { to { scale: 1 1; } } <div class="scroll-watcher"> </div><nav><p><a href="#Leading">Leading Toward Sustainability</a> | <a href="#Recommendations">Recommendations for the Health Care COO</a></p></nav> .SessionWrapper { border: solid 2px #005844; margin-bottom: 20px; } h2.SessionTitle { font-weight: 700; background-color: #00584422; color: #005844; padding: 15px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 25px; font-size: 33px; } .SessionEvents { margin-bottom: 30px; display:inline-block; } .SessionEvents br { margin-bottom: 10px; } .SessionEvents h3 { font-size: 30px; } .SessionEvents h4 { color: #9d2235; } .SessionEvents ul { list-style: none; /* Remove default bullets */ padding-left: 25px; margin-bottom: 25px; } .SessionEvents ul li { margin-bottom: 7px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 16px; } .SessionEvents ul li::before { content: "●"; font-size: 1em; position: relative; top: 0px; color: #78be20; text-indent: -20px; padding-right: 10px; } .SessionEvents ul li { padding-left: 23px; text-indent: -23px; } .SessionEvents img { margin-top: 25px; } <div class="container SessionWrapper" id="Leading"><div class="row"><h2 class="SessionTitle">Leading Toward Sustainability</h2></div><div class="row SessionEvents"><div class="col-md-1"> </div><div class="col-md-10"><p class="center_Lead">Improving sustainability within health care organizations requires all departments (and truly, all employees and contractors) to:</p><ol class="sg-olHeader"><li>Understand the importance of improving sustainability (connect to mission).</li><li>Commit to seeking out opportunities to change current practice in a way that improves key performance indicators.</li><li>Collaborate with other stakeholders to review and assess ongoing performance.</li></ol><p class="center_Lead">The complexity of health care facility operations and sourcing requires sustainability and decarbonization to be a strategic priority to achieve meaningful change in KPIs like carbon emissions.</p></div><div class="col-md-1"> </div></div></div><div class="container SessionWrapper" id="Recommendations"><div class="row"><h2 class="SessionTitle">Recommendations for the Health Care COO</h2></div><div class="row SessionEvents"><div class="col-md-1"> </div><div class="col-md-10"> ol.sg-olHeader > li { font-size: 20px; color: #63666A; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.4; font-weight:700 } ol.sg-olHeader > li > ul li { font-size: 20px; color: #63666A; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.4; } <ol class="sg-olHeader"><li>Build a cross-functional team of leaders to drive strategy.<ul><li>Allocate time and incorporate sustainability in job descriptions.</li><li>Instruct the team of leaders to work with all departments to implement initiatives.</li><li>Ask team to provide regular updates, such as monthly operations meetings.</li></ul></li><li>Establish a management system for environmental stewardship.<ul><li>Track KPIs that will measure real progress alongside patient outcomes.</li><li>Incorporate sustainability KPIs into department-level goals.</li><li>Realign internal processes to support sustainability.</li></ul></li><li>Encourage a growth mindset by supporting education for sustainability.<ul><li>Host learning sessions with local experts.</li><li>Sponsor focused training for employees to become experts.</li><li>Share your own successes with other organizations.</li></ul></li></ol></div><div class="col-md-1"> </div></div></div> Fri, 18 Jul 2025 19:00:00 -0500 Decarbonization /sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/ceos <div class="raw-html-embed"> </div><div class="raw-html-embed"> .Banner_Title_Overlay_Bar { position: relative; display: block; overflow: hidden; max-width: 1170px; margin: 0px auto 0px auto; } .LogoInsert { position: absolute; top: 0px; height:100%; left:0px; } .LogoInsert img{ max-width:500px; max-height:125px; top:calc(50% - 125px/2); left:calc(100% + 50px); position:absolute; } .LogoInsert h1{ position:absolute; left:0px; bottom:0px; width:500px; opacity:0; margin: 0px; padding: 0; } @media (max-width:640px) { .LogoBG { object-fit: cover; height: 200px; } .LogoInsert img { max-width: 250px; left: calc(100% + 15px); top: calc(50% - 112px/2); background-color: #00584499; padding: 25px; border-radius: 30px 0px; } } @media (max-width:320px) { .LogoBG { height: 150px; } } <header class="Banner_Title_Overlay_Bar"> <img alt="Banner Image - Glass Earth sitting in a hand over tall grass" class="LogoBG" src="/sites/default/files/2023-03/sustainability-roadmap-web-home-banner-1170x250.jpg"> <div class="LogoInsert"> <img alt="Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care | Achieving Your Sustainability Goals - Logo" src="/sites/default/files/2023-03/SustainabilityRoadmap_Logo_Hor-white_700x217.png"></div> </header> </div> .shcIntro{ background-color:#78be2022; padding: 5px 50px 15px 50px; margin-bottom:20px; } .shcIntro h1, .shcIntro h2, .shcIntro h3 { color: #005844; text-align: center; } .shcIntro h1{ font-size:2em; } .shcIntro h2{ font-size:1.6em; } shcIntro ul{ color: grey; } <div class="shcIntro"><h1>The CEO's Guide to Environmental Stewardship</h1></div><div class="raw-html-embed"> <div class="row"> /* TocMini */ .TocMini { margin: 0px auto 25px; padding-bottom: 5px; color: #005844; letter-spacing: 1.5px; font-weight: 400; font-size: .7em; width: 80%; } .TocMini .TocMiniBar { border: 1px solid #78be20; padding: 5px 10px; overflow: auto; border-radius: 20px 0px; } .TocMini .TocMiniBar .TocMiniGroup a:after { content: "|"; padding: 0 3px 0 6px; color: #253b80; font-weight: 700; } .TocMini .TocMiniBar .TocMiniGroup a:last-child:after { content: ""; } .TocMini .TocMiniGroup { float: right; } .TocMini .TocMiniHome { text-transform: uppercase; color: #005844; font-weight: 700; } .TocMini .TocMiniChild { font-weight: 500; opacity: .9; color: #555; } .TocMini .TocMiniHome:hover, .TocMini .TocMiniChild:hover { text-transform: ; color: #5fa1d0; } .TocMini .TocMiniActive{ font-weight: 700; color: #5fa1d0; } /* TocMini // */ <div class="TocMini"> <div class="TocMiniBar"> <a class="TocMiniHome" href="/sustainability" target="_blank" title="Home - Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care">Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care</a> <div class="TocMiniGroup"> <a class="TocMiniChild" href="https://www.ashe.org/sustainability" target="_blank" title="ASHE Sustainability for Health Care Facilities">Sustainability for Health Care Facilities</a> <a class="TocMiniChild" href="/sustainability/glossary" target="_blank" title="Glossary">Glossary</a> <a class="TocMiniChild" href="https://www.ashe.org/sustainability/healquest" target="_blank" title="HealQuest">HealQuest<sup>TM</sup></a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> .btn-primary { background-color: #005844; } .shcItemsLine { border-bottom:solid 1px #78be20; margin-top:10px; margin-bottom:25px; } .shcHighlight h3{ color:#333; font-size:16px; text-align:center; margin:0px } .shcHighlight span{ font-weight:700; color:#78be20; } p.center_Lead { color: #63666A; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.4; font-size: 20px; } <div class="row shcHighlight BulletCircle"><div class="col-sm-6 col-md-7"><p class="center_Lead">Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship are being integrated into hospital operations and health care delivery in hospitals and health systems across the nation. While environmental stewardship concepts were once seen as “add-ons”, CEO’s are recognizing the impact these concepts can make in reinforcing their organizational missions. Using a “transformational change” approach, CEOs are establishing a culture of sustainability, engaging the entire organization, and taking action to solidify change.</p><div class="col-md-10 col-md-offset-1 shcItemsLine"> </div></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-md-5"> <div data-entity-type="webform" data-entity-uuid="82c58bca-9296-40b2-8941-0c6929d9ef6b" data-embed-button="webform_embed" data-entity-embed-display="view_mode:webform.token" data-langcode="en" data-entity-embed-display-settings="[]" class="embedded-entity"> <div class="antibot-no-js antibot-message antibot-message-warning">You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form.</div> <div id="edit-sustainability-menu-code--5" class="js-form-item form-item js-form-type-processed-text form-item- js-form-item- form-no-label"> <div class="raw-html-embed"> .webform-submission-form { margin: 0em auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 0 0px; .ResourceHolder-1 { background-color: #78be2022; padding: 25px 9px; display: inline-block; border-radius: 50px 50px 0 0; width: 100% } .ResourceHolder-1 h2 { color: ; line-height: 18px; font-size: 18px; margin: 10px 0 15px 0; text-align:center; } .ResourceHolder-1 h2 a { color: #005844; } .ResourceHolder-1 h2 a:hover { color: #4579bc; } <div class="ResourceHolder-1"> <div class="col-md-4"> <a href="/system/files/media/file/2025/03/Leaders-Guide-Environmental-Stewardship.pdf" target="_blank" title="The Health Care Leader's Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-07/Sus-Guide-Cover-777x600.png" alt="Cover image of the AHA's guide: The Health Care Leader's Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship" width="100%"></a> </div> <div class="col-md-8"> <h2><a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide" title="Start at the begining of the Guide: The Health Care Leader's Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship">The Health Care Leader’s Guide</a></h2> .RuralAgendaTOC { text-align: center; font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px; background-color: ; padding: 0 15px 15px 15px; } .RuralAgendaTOC a:link { color: #005844; text-decoration: none; } .RuralAgendaTOC a:hover { color: #FED141aa; } .RuralAgendaTOC a:hover { color: #4579bc; ; } .RuralAgendaTOC a:active { color: green; } <h3>Sections:</h3> <div class="RuralAgendaTOC"> <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/team" title="Go to section on: The Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship Team">Sustainability Team </a>| <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/ceos" title="Go to section on: CEO’s Guide">CEO </a>| <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/coos" title="Go to section on: COO’s Guide">COO </a>| <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/cfos" title="Go to section on: CFO’s Guide">CFO </a>| <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/board" title="Go to section on: Board's Guide">Board </a>| <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/business-case" title="Go to section on: The Business Case">Business Case</a> </div> <div> <a class="btn btn-primary btn-wide" href="/system/files/media/file/2025/03/Leaders-Guide-Environmental-Stewardship.pdf" target="_blank" title="Download the printable version: The Health Care Leader's Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship">Printable Version</a> </div> </div> </div></div> </div> <div class="homepage-textfield js-form-wrapper form-wrapper"><div class="js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textfield form-item-homepage js-form-item-homepage"> Leave this field blank </div> </div> </div></div></div><div class="row spacer"> @media (min-width:720px) { .srIntro2 { column-count: 2; } } <div class="col-md-12 srIntro2"><p class="center_Lead">Sustainability, which was once characterized in health care as an optional “add-on” to hospital operations and health care delivery, is now becoming an operations priority. Today, we recognize that health care has a great impact on the economy and the environment, and health care operations directly affect the health and wellness of patients and communities.</p><p class="center_Lead">Nationally, some health care systems are showing the value from integrating sustainability into functions of the organization. Organizations with a plan can more quickly respond to opportunities for partnerships and participation in incentive programs.</p><p class="center_Lead">Success stories are shared in every region and for organizations of every size. There is no shortage of educational resources on sustainability, but it can be hard to know where to start. This resource collects current best practices (as of 2022) and identifies action steps to jumpstart your sustainability journey.</p></div></div> @media (min-width:400px){ .img2Side { display: flex; } } .img2SideImg { flex: 50%; } <div class="row img2Side spacer"><div><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-07/Sus-CEO-1.png" alt="Three groups lead into the next set; Set 1, Establish a culture of sustainability: Designate a Sustainability Champion, Build a Green Teem, Establish a Vision and Set Targets"></div><div><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-07/Sus-CEO-2.png" alt="Set 2, Engaging the entire organization: Establish Stakeholder Buy-in, Empower Action, Celebrate Short-Term Wins"></div><div><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-07/Sus-CEO-3.png" alt="Set 3, Taking Action and Solidifying Change: Keep it Going, Integrate in Normal Operation (arrow extends out)"></div></div><h2 class="text-align-center">Sections</h2> .Sticky { position: sticky; top: 0; background-color: #fff; z-index: 1000; border-radius: 0 0 25px 25px; z-index:1000; color: #78be20; width: fit-content; margin: auto; padding: 0px 10px 5px; font-size:14px; } .Sticky nav p{ font-size:14px; font-weight:700; line-height:13px } @media (max-width:790px){ .Sticky nav p{ font-size:11px; } } .Sticky a { color: #005844; text-decoration: none; } .Sticky .scroll-watcher { height: 10px; position: relative; top: 0; left: 0; z-index: 1000; background-color: #78be20; width: 100%; scale: 0 1; transform-origin: left; animation: scroll-watcher linear; animation-timeline: scroll(y); } @keyframes scroll-watcher { to { scale: 1 1; } } <div class="scroll-watcher"> </div><nav><p><a href="#Change">“Transformational Change” Approach</a> | <a href="#Reinforce">Reinforce the Mission</a> | <a href="#Recommendations">Recommendations for the Health Care CEO</a></p></nav> .SessionWrapper { border: solid 2px #005844; margin-bottom: 20px; } h2.SessionTitle { font-weight: 700; background-color: #00584422; color: #005844; padding: 15px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 25px; font-size: 33px; } .SessionEvents { margin-bottom: 30px; display:inline-block; } .SessionEvents br { margin-bottom: 10px; } .SessionEvents h3 { font-size: 30px; } .SessionEvents h4 { color: #9d2235; } .SessionEvents ul { list-style: none; /* Remove default bullets */ padding-left: 25px; margin-bottom: 25px; } .SessionEvents ul li { margin-bottom: 7px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 16px; } .SessionEvents ul li::before { content: "●"; font-size: 1em; position: relative; top: 0px; color: #78be20; text-indent: -20px; padding-right: 10px; } .SessionEvents ul li { padding-left: 23px; text-indent: -23px; } .SessionEvents img { margin-top: 25px; } <div class="container SessionWrapper" id="Change"><div class="row"><h2 class="SessionTitle">Use a "transformational change" approach for sustainability and environmental stewardship.</h2></div><div class="row SessionEvents"><div class="col-md-1"> </div><div class="col-md-10"><p class="center_Lead">No single person or department can make health care sustainable: meaningful change will require all functions to find new ways of delivering better outcomes. The complexities of the health care system require top-down leadership and creative problem-solving from the bottom-up to increase value. Outside of health care, some organizations have found a corporate commitment to sustainability boosts employee motivation and improves retention and recruitment.</p></div><div class="col-md-1"> </div></div></div><div class="container SessionWrapper" id="Reinforce"><div class="row"><h2 class="SessionTitle">Reinforce the Mission</h2></div><div class="row SessionEvents"><div class="col-md-1"> </div><div class="col-md-10"><p class="center_Lead"><strong>The imperative:</strong> the environment affects parts of health and health care delivery, and some hospitals are dealing with the impacts today. Reducing green house gas emissions and air pollution can protect the health of patients, employees and communities.</p><p class="center_Lead"><strong>Mission alignment:</strong> Health care's global carbon footprint is significant, hospitals can take meaningful actions to improve the health of all people and the environment in which they live - by setting a sustainable course for the future.</p><p class="center_Lead"><strong>Operational benefits:</strong> Reducing GHG emissions leads to cost savings and can contribute to hospitals’ resiliency when faced with extreme weather events.</p></div><div class="col-md-1"> </div></div></div><div class="container SessionWrapper" id="Recommendations"><div class="row"><h2 class="SessionTitle">Recommendations for the Health Care CEO</h2></div><div class="row SessionEvents"><div class="col-md-1"> </div><div class="col-md-10"> ol.sg-olHeader > li { font-size: 20px; color: #63666A; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.4; font-weight:700 } ol.sg-olHeader > li > ul li { font-size: 20px; color: #63666A; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.4; } <ol class="sg-olHeader"><li>Make sustainability a transformational program for the organization:<ul><li>CEOs can acknowledge that sustainable hospitals offer unique benefits to their surrounding communities.</li><li>Engage the board of directors and show the value of sustainability.</li><li>Be clear that this is an executive priority and long-term commitment.</li></ul></li><li>Identify internal leaders and allocate the resources needed for success:<ul><li>Frame sustainability in a growth mindset to embrace the challenges of sustainability by seeking innovations.</li></ul></li><li>Communicate initiatives and progress regularly to your community and the sector:<ul><li>Show the value.</li><li>Recognize the functional roles for leadership and innovation.</li><li>Collaborate with other CEOs to share successes and overcome obstacles.</li></ul></li></ol></div><div class="col-md-1"> </div></div></div> Fri, 18 Jul 2025 19:00:00 -0500 Decarbonization /sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/team <div class="raw-html-embed"> </div><div class="raw-html-embed"> .Banner_Title_Overlay_Bar { position: relative; display: block; overflow: hidden; max-width: 1170px; margin: 0px auto 0px auto; } .LogoInsert { position: absolute; top: 0px; height:100%; left:0px; } .LogoInsert img{ max-width:500px; max-height:125px; top:calc(50% - 125px/2); left:calc(100% + 50px); position:absolute; } .LogoInsert h1{ position:absolute; left:0px; bottom:0px; width:500px; opacity:0; margin: 0px; padding: 0; } @media (max-width:640px) { .LogoBG { object-fit: cover; height: 200px; } .LogoInsert img { max-width: 250px; left: calc(100% + 15px); top: calc(50% - 112px/2); background-color: #00584499; padding: 25px; border-radius: 30px 0px; } } @media (max-width:320px) { .LogoBG { height: 150px; } } <header class="Banner_Title_Overlay_Bar"> <img alt="Banner Image - Glass Earth sitting in a hand over tall grass" class="LogoBG" src="/sites/default/files/2023-03/sustainability-roadmap-web-home-banner-1170x250.jpg"> <div class="LogoInsert"> <img alt="Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care | Achieving Your Sustainability Goals - Logo" src="/sites/default/files/2023-03/SustainabilityRoadmap_Logo_Hor-white_700x217.png"></div> </header> </div> .shcIntro{ background-color:#78be2022; padding: 5px 50px 15px 50px; margin-bottom:20px; } .shcIntro h1, .shcIntro h2, .shcIntro h3 { color: #005844; text-align: center; } .shcIntro h1{ font-size:2em; } .shcIntro h2{ font-size:1.6em; } shcIntro ul{ color: grey; } <div class="shcIntro"><h1>The Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship Team</h1></div><div class="raw-html-embed"> <div class="row"> /* TocMini */ .TocMini { margin: 0px auto 25px; padding-bottom: 5px; color: #005844; letter-spacing: 1.5px; font-weight: 400; font-size: .7em; width: 80%; } .TocMini .TocMiniBar { border: 1px solid #78be20; padding: 5px 10px; overflow: auto; border-radius: 20px 0px; } .TocMini .TocMiniBar .TocMiniGroup a:after { content: "|"; padding: 0 3px 0 6px; color: #253b80; font-weight: 700; } .TocMini .TocMiniBar .TocMiniGroup a:last-child:after { content: ""; } .TocMini .TocMiniGroup { float: right; } .TocMini .TocMiniHome { text-transform: uppercase; color: #005844; font-weight: 700; } .TocMini .TocMiniChild { font-weight: 500; opacity: .9; color: #555; } .TocMini .TocMiniHome:hover, .TocMini .TocMiniChild:hover { text-transform: ; color: #5fa1d0; } .TocMini .TocMiniActive{ font-weight: 700; color: #5fa1d0; } /* TocMini // */ <div class="TocMini"> <div class="TocMiniBar"> <a class="TocMiniHome" href="/sustainability" target="_blank" title="Home - Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care">Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care</a> <div class="TocMiniGroup"> <a class="TocMiniChild" href="https://www.ashe.org/sustainability" target="_blank" title="ASHE Sustainability for Health Care Facilities">Sustainability for Health Care Facilities</a> <a class="TocMiniChild" href="/sustainability/glossary" target="_blank" title="Glossary">Glossary</a> <a class="TocMiniChild" href="https://www.ashe.org/sustainability/healquest" target="_blank" title="HealQuest">HealQuest<sup>TM</sup></a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> .btn-primary { background-color: #005844; } .shcItemsLine { border-bottom:solid 1px #78be20; margin-top:10px; margin-bottom:25px; } .shcHighlight h3{ color:#333; font-size:16px; text-align:center; margin:0px } .shcHighlight span{ font-weight:700; color:#78be20; } p.center_Lead { color: #63666A; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.4; font-size: 20px; } <div class="row shcHighlight BulletCircle"><div class="col-sm-6 col-md-7"><p class="center_Lead">Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship Teams are passionate about environmental stewardship and sustainability and are empowered to lead their organization’s environmental efforts. The sustainability and environmental stewardship teams are responsible for building relationships across the organization, breaking down silos, and sharing knowledge and expertise to empower their colleagues to take action and celebrate sustainability wins.</p><div class="col-md-10 col-md-offset-1 shcItemsLine"> </div></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-md-5"> <div data-entity-type="webform" data-entity-uuid="82c58bca-9296-40b2-8941-0c6929d9ef6b" data-embed-button="webform_embed" data-entity-embed-display="view_mode:webform.token" data-langcode="en" data-entity-embed-display-settings="[]" class="embedded-entity"> <div class="antibot-no-js antibot-message antibot-message-warning">You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form.</div> <div id="edit-sustainability-menu-code--6" class="js-form-item form-item js-form-type-processed-text form-item- js-form-item- form-no-label"> <div class="raw-html-embed"> .webform-submission-form { margin: 0em auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 0 0px; .ResourceHolder-1 { background-color: #78be2022; padding: 25px 9px; display: inline-block; border-radius: 50px 50px 0 0; width: 100% } .ResourceHolder-1 h2 { color: ; line-height: 18px; font-size: 18px; margin: 10px 0 15px 0; text-align:center; } .ResourceHolder-1 h2 a { color: #005844; } .ResourceHolder-1 h2 a:hover { color: #4579bc; } <div class="ResourceHolder-1"> <div class="col-md-4"> <a href="/system/files/media/file/2025/03/Leaders-Guide-Environmental-Stewardship.pdf" target="_blank" title="The Health Care Leader's Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-07/Sus-Guide-Cover-777x600.png" alt="Cover image of the AHA's guide: The Health Care Leader's Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship" width="100%"></a> </div> <div class="col-md-8"> <h2><a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide" title="Start at the begining of the Guide: The Health Care Leader's Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship">The Health Care Leader’s Guide</a></h2> .RuralAgendaTOC { text-align: center; font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px; background-color: ; padding: 0 15px 15px 15px; } .RuralAgendaTOC a:link { color: #005844; text-decoration: none; } .RuralAgendaTOC a:hover { color: #FED141aa; } .RuralAgendaTOC a:hover { color: #4579bc; ; } .RuralAgendaTOC a:active { color: green; } <h3>Sections:</h3> <div class="RuralAgendaTOC"> <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/team" title="Go to section on: The Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship Team">Sustainability Team </a>| <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/ceos" title="Go to section on: CEO’s Guide">CEO </a>| <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/coos" title="Go to section on: COO’s Guide">COO </a>| <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/cfos" title="Go to section on: CFO’s Guide">CFO </a>| <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/board" title="Go to section on: Board's Guide">Board </a>| <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/business-case" title="Go to section on: The Business Case">Business Case</a> </div> <div> <a class="btn btn-primary btn-wide" href="/system/files/media/file/2025/03/Leaders-Guide-Environmental-Stewardship.pdf" target="_blank" title="Download the printable version: The Health Care Leader's Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship">Printable Version</a> </div> </div> </div></div> </div> <div class="homepage-textfield js-form-wrapper form-wrapper"><div class="js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textfield form-item-homepage js-form-item-homepage"> Leave this field blank </div> </div> </div></div></div><div class="row spacer"> @media (min-width:720px){ .srIntro2{ column-count: 2; } } <div class="col-md-12 srIntro2"><p class="center_Lead">As members of the sustainability team, you have the passion to share your knowledge of sustainability with your colleagues, the responsibility to build relationships with all functional roles, and the power to inspire all stakeholders to advance sustainability (contractors, visitors, the community, the sector).</p><p class="center_Lead">You are curious — seeking to understand existing systems and operational practices, and learn from other experts. Building trust will open doors to identifying opportunities that improve sustainability.</p><p class="center_Lead">You are empowered to be leaders in your organization — speak up when you need resources and be clear about the value of sustainability initiatives in support of the executive strategy. Remember to prepare your coworkers (the functional leaders in your organization) to celebrate achievements. Achieving a sustainability goal is not a win for only the chief sustainability officer or the sustainability team, it is a win for the organization.</p></div></div><h2 class="text-align-center">Sections</h2> .Sticky { position: sticky; top: 0; background-color: #fff; z-index: 1000; border-radius: 0 0 25px 25px; z-index:1000; color: #78be20; width: fit-content; margin: auto; padding: 0px 10px 5px; font-size:14px; } .Sticky nav p{ font-size:14px; font-weight:700; line-height:13px } @media (max-width:790px){ .Sticky nav p{ font-size:11px; } } .Sticky a { color: #005844; text-decoration: none; } .Sticky .scroll-watcher { height: 10px; position: relative; top: 0; left: 0; z-index: 1000; background-color: #78be20; width: 100%; scale: 0 1; transform-origin: left; animation: scroll-watcher linear; animation-timeline: scroll(y); } @keyframes scroll-watcher { to { scale: 1 1; } } <div class="scroll-watcher"> </div><nav><p><a href="#Mission">Articulate Your Why</a> | <a href="#Value">Recommendations for the Experts</a></p></nav> .SessionWrapper { border: solid 2px #005844; margin-bottom: 20px; } h2.SessionTitle { font-weight: 700; background-color: #00584422; color: #005844; padding: 15px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 25px; font-size: 33px; } .SessionEvents { margin-bottom: 30px; display:inline-block; } .SessionEvents br { margin-bottom: 10px; } .SessionEvents h3 { font-size: 30px; } .SessionEvents h4 { color: #9d2235; } .SessionEvents ul { list-style: none; /* Remove default bullets */ padding-left: 25px; margin-bottom: 25px; } .SessionEvents ul li { margin-bottom: 7px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 16px; } .SessionEvents ul li::before { content: "●"; font-size: 1em; position: relative; top: 0px; color: #78be20; text-indent: -20px; padding-right: 10px; } .SessionEvents ul li { padding-left: 23px; text-indent: -23px; } .SessionEvents img { margin-top: 25px; } <div class="container SessionWrapper" id="Mission"><div class="row"><h2 class="SessionTitle">Articulate Your Why</h2></div><div class="row SessionEvents"><div class="col-md-1"> </div><div class="col-md-10"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-6"><p class="center_Lead">Share a consistent, persuasive message for sustainability and environmental stewardship in your organization and with various stakeholders. This Cleveland Clinic figure provides a few examples, but it is most impactful to work with your internal leaders and craft a message that speaks directly to the context of your operations, considering location and community.</p></div><div class="col-md-6"><h3 class="text-align-center">Cleveland Clinic Environmental Stewardship Pitch Summary</h3><div class="table-responsive"><table class="table-bordered table-striped"><thead><tr><th>Sustainability “hook”</th><th>Sample message for the leader</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Mitigation</td><td>Save $50 million+</td></tr><tr><td>Engagement</td><td>Attract the best</td></tr><tr><td>Resillence</td><td>Adjust to the future</td></tr><tr><td>Relationships</td><td>Build partnerships</td></tr><tr><td>Population health</td><td>Impact regional health</td></tr><tr><td>Societal transformation</td><td>Change the nexus</td></tr><tr><td>Transpersonalism</td><td>Be the change</td></tr><tr><td>Moral obligation</td><td>Do the right thing</td></tr><tr><td>Leadership</td><td>Lead the sector</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="text-align-center"><strong>Source:</strong> Presented by Jon Utech and Jessica Wolf during CleanMed 2018, “Demystifying Greenhouse Gas and Goal-setting in Health Care”</p></div></div></div></div><div class="col-md-1"> </div></div></div><div class="container SessionWrapper" id="Value"><div class="row"><h2 class="SessionTitle">Recommendations for the Experts</h2></div><div class="row SessionEvents"><div class="col-md-1"> </div><div class="col-md-10"><p class="center_Lead">Consider these suggestions, but review the context for your organization and take the time to build support and consensus at all levels (top-down and bottom-up). For more ideas, review the assessment for your sustainability journey on ASHE.org.</p> ol.sg-olHeader > li { font-size: 20px; color: #63666A; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.4; font-weight:700 } ol.sg-olHeader > li > ul li { font-size: 20px; color: #63666A; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.4; } <ol class="sg-olHeader"><li>Support the CEO to make sustainability a transformational program for the entire organization:<ul><li>Articulate the sustainability vision for the organization and repeat often.</li><li>Connect sustainability to the mission and vision of the organization.</li><li>Engage the board of directors and show the value of sustainability.</li><li>Be clear that this is an executive priority. Transformational initiatives require leaders at all levels (bottom-up), but also require C-suite leadership (top-down).</li><li>Create a plan with metrics and milestones, report progress and celebrate achievements.</li><li>Identify high-impact areas (materiality assessment) and define strategy to include relevant internal functions and external/third parties.</li></ul></li><li>Work with the chief operating officer (COO) to realign internal processes to support sustainability. Create key performance indicators (KPIs) that will measure progress towards sustainability goals.<ul><li>Identify internal leaders and allocate the resources needed for success.</li><li>Frame the sustainability agenda in a “growth mindset,” encouraging leaders to embrace the challenges of sustainability by seeking opportunities to innovate.</li></ul></li><li>Communicate initiatives and progress externally to your community and the sector.<ul><li>Be transparent about ambitions, current performance and value created from sustainability initiatives.</li><li>To achieve meaningful improvements, one health system cannot change the field alone. Collaborating with other community organizations and across the health care sector can help to share successes and overcome obstacles</li></ul></li></ol></div><div class="col-md-1"> </div></div></div> Fri, 18 Jul 2025 19:00:00 -0500 Decarbonization /sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide <div class="raw-html-embed"> </div><div class="raw-html-embed"> .Banner_Title_Overlay_Bar { position: relative; display: block; overflow: hidden; max-width: 1170px; margin: 0px auto 0px auto; } .LogoInsert { position: absolute; top: 0px; height:100%; left:0px; } .LogoInsert img{ max-width:500px; max-height:125px; top:calc(50% - 125px/2); left:calc(100% + 50px); position:absolute; } .LogoInsert h1{ position:absolute; left:0px; bottom:0px; width:500px; opacity:0; margin: 0px; padding: 0; } @media (max-width:640px) { .LogoBG { object-fit: cover; height: 200px; } .LogoInsert img { max-width: 250px; left: calc(100% + 15px); top: calc(50% - 112px/2); background-color: #00584499; padding: 25px; border-radius: 30px 0px; } } @media (max-width:320px) { .LogoBG { height: 150px; } } <header class="Banner_Title_Overlay_Bar"> <img alt="Banner Image - Glass Earth sitting in a hand over tall grass" class="LogoBG" src="/sites/default/files/2023-03/sustainability-roadmap-web-home-banner-1170x250.jpg"> <div class="LogoInsert"> <img alt="Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care | Achieving Your Sustainability Goals - Logo" src="/sites/default/files/2023-03/SustainabilityRoadmap_Logo_Hor-white_700x217.png"></div> </header> </div> .shcIntro{ background-color:#78be2022; padding: 5px 50px 15px 50px; margin-bottom:20px; } .shcIntro h1, .shcIntro h2, .shcIntro h3 { color: #005844; text-align: center; } .shcIntro h1{ font-size:2em; } .shcIntro h2{ font-size:1.6em; } shcIntro ul{ color: grey; } <div class="shcIntro"><h1>The Health Care Leader's Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship</h1><h2>Communicate Goals and Actions in Environmental Stewardship</h2></div><div class="raw-html-embed"> <div class="row"> /* TocMini */ .TocMini { margin: 0px auto 25px; padding-bottom: 5px; color: #005844; letter-spacing: 1.5px; font-weight: 400; font-size: .7em; width: 80%; } .TocMini .TocMiniBar { border: 1px solid #78be20; padding: 5px 10px; overflow: auto; border-radius: 20px 0px; } .TocMini .TocMiniBar .TocMiniGroup a:after { content: "|"; padding: 0 3px 0 6px; color: #253b80; font-weight: 700; } .TocMini .TocMiniBar .TocMiniGroup a:last-child:after { content: ""; } .TocMini .TocMiniGroup { float: right; } .TocMini .TocMiniHome { text-transform: uppercase; color: #005844; font-weight: 700; } .TocMini .TocMiniChild { font-weight: 500; opacity: .9; color: #555; } .TocMini .TocMiniHome:hover, .TocMini .TocMiniChild:hover { text-transform: ; color: #5fa1d0; } .TocMini .TocMiniActive{ font-weight: 700; color: #5fa1d0; } /* TocMini // */ <div class="TocMini"> <div class="TocMiniBar"> <a class="TocMiniHome" href="/sustainability" target="_blank" title="Home - Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care">Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care</a> <div class="TocMiniGroup"> <a class="TocMiniChild" href="https://www.ashe.org/sustainability" target="_blank" title="ASHE Sustainability for Health Care Facilities">Sustainability for Health Care Facilities</a> <a class="TocMiniChild" href="/sustainability/glossary" target="_blank" title="Glossary">Glossary</a> <a class="TocMiniChild" href="https://www.ashe.org/sustainability/healquest" target="_blank" title="HealQuest">HealQuest<sup>TM</sup></a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> .btn-primary { background-color: #005844; } .shcHighlight h3{ color:#333; font-size:16px; text-align:center; margin:0px } .shcHighlight span{ font-weight:700; color:#78be20; } p.center_Lead { color: #63666A; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.4; font-size: 20px; } <div class="row shcHighlight BulletCircle"><div class="col-sm-6 col-md-7"><p class="center_Lead">In navigating the complex landscape of environmental stewardship within the health care field, engaged, effective leadership is key. Leaders set goals, such as reducing energy consumption, waste generation and greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, leaders foster cultures of innovation and collaboration by encouraging interdisciplinary teams to explore and implement environmentally friendly solutions throughout their organizations.The Health Care Leader's Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship provides a toolkit of tangible action items for <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/ceos" title="Learn more for the CEOs">CEOs</a>, <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/board" title="Learn more for the board">boards and trustees</a>, <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/team" title="Learn more about the sustainability team">sustainability teams</a>, <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/coos" title="Learn more for the COOs">COOs</a>, and <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/cfos" title="Learn more for CFOs">CFOs</a>, demonstrating how each can <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/business-case" title="The Business Case">lead the charge</a> in environmental stewardship.</p></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-md-5"> <div data-entity-type="webform" data-entity-uuid="82c58bca-9296-40b2-8941-0c6929d9ef6b" data-embed-button="webform_embed" data-entity-embed-display="view_mode:webform.token" data-langcode="en" data-entity-embed-display-settings="[]" class="embedded-entity"> <div class="antibot-no-js antibot-message antibot-message-warning">You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form.</div> <div id="edit-sustainability-menu-code--7" class="js-form-item form-item js-form-type-processed-text form-item- js-form-item- form-no-label"> <div class="raw-html-embed"> .webform-submission-form { margin: 0em auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 0 0px; .ResourceHolder-1 { background-color: #78be2022; padding: 25px 9px; display: inline-block; border-radius: 50px 50px 0 0; width: 100% } .ResourceHolder-1 h2 { color: ; line-height: 18px; font-size: 18px; margin: 10px 0 15px 0; text-align:center; } .ResourceHolder-1 h2 a { color: #005844; } .ResourceHolder-1 h2 a:hover { color: #4579bc; } <div class="ResourceHolder-1"> <div class="col-md-4"> <a href="/system/files/media/file/2025/03/Leaders-Guide-Environmental-Stewardship.pdf" target="_blank" title="The Health Care Leader's Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-07/Sus-Guide-Cover-777x600.png" alt="Cover image of the AHA's guide: The Health Care Leader's Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship" width="100%"></a> </div> <div class="col-md-8"> <h2><a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide" title="Start at the begining of the Guide: The Health Care Leader's Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship">The Health Care Leader’s Guide</a></h2> .RuralAgendaTOC { text-align: center; font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px; background-color: ; padding: 0 15px 15px 15px; } .RuralAgendaTOC a:link { color: #005844; text-decoration: none; } .RuralAgendaTOC a:hover { color: #FED141aa; } .RuralAgendaTOC a:hover { color: #4579bc; ; } .RuralAgendaTOC a:active { color: green; } <h3>Sections:</h3> <div class="RuralAgendaTOC"> <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/team" title="Go to section on: The Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship Team">Sustainability Team </a>| <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/ceos" title="Go to section on: CEO’s Guide">CEO </a>| <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/coos" title="Go to section on: COO’s Guide">COO </a>| <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/cfos" title="Go to section on: CFO’s Guide">CFO </a>| <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/board" title="Go to section on: Board's Guide">Board </a>| <a href="/sustainability/health-care-leaders-guide/business-case" title="Go to section on: The Business Case">Business Case</a> </div> <div> <a class="btn btn-primary btn-wide" href="/system/files/media/file/2025/03/Leaders-Guide-Environmental-Stewardship.pdf" target="_blank" title="Download the printable version: The Health Care Leader's Guide to Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship">Printable Version</a> </div> </div> </div></div> </div> <div class="homepage-textfield js-form-wrapper form-wrapper"><div class="js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textfield form-item-homepage js-form-item-homepage"> Leave this field blank </div> </div> </div></div></div><div class="raw-html-embed"> <div class="anchortag" id="HealthEquity"></div> </div> @media (min-width:500px){ .img2Side { display: flex; } } .img2SideImg { /*flex: 50%;*/ } <div class="row spacer"><div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 img2Side"><div class="img2SideImg"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-07/Sus-BlueChart-1.jpg" alt="The U.S. health care sector is responsible for 8.5% of U.S. emissions. | Notably, the U.S. health care sector is responsible for 35% of global health care emissions."></div><div class="img2SideImg"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-07/Sus-BlueChart-2.jpg" alt="Global actions to reduce emissions increase the focus on the U.S. health care system’s actions. | 80% of emissions in the U.S. health care are from goods and services in the supply chain."></div></div></div><h2 class="text-align-center">Sections</h2> .Sticky { position: sticky; top: 0; background-color: #fff; z-index: 1000; border-radius: 0 0 25px 25px; z-index:1000; color: #78be20; width: fit-content; margin: auto; padding: 0px 10px 5px; font-size:14px; } .Sticky nav p{ font-size:14px; font-weight:700; line-height:13px } @media (max-width:790px){ .Sticky nav p{ font-size:11px; } } .Sticky a { color: #005844; text-decoration: none; } .Sticky .scroll-watcher { height: 10px; position: relative; top: 0; left: 0; z-index: 1000; background-color: #78be20; width: 100%; scale: 0 1; transform-origin: left; animation: scroll-watcher linear; animation-timeline: scroll(y); } @keyframes scroll-watcher { to { scale: 1 1; } } <div class="scroll-watcher"> </div><nav><p><a href="#Mission">Mission Readiness</a> | <a href="#Value">Create Value</a> | <a href="#KeyTerms">Key Terms and Definitions</a> | <a href="#Carbon">Carbon in Health Care</a> | <a href="#Measuring">Measuring Carbon in your Organization</a></p></nav><div> .TearDropRight { /* gap: 20px; */ flex-wrap: wrap; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: center; align-items: center; margin: 30px auto; } .TearDropRight .TDRitem{ /* background-color: red; */ padding: 18px; /* flex: auto;*/ } .TearDropRight .TDRborder{ border: solid 6px #005844; border-radius: 50% 0% 50% 50%; height: 180px; width: 180px; margin: auto; rotate: 45deg; position: relative; background-color: #00584411; } .TearDropRight .TDRitem:nth-child(5) .TDRborder{ border-radius: 50% 50% 50% 50%; } .TearDropRight .TDRcopy{ font-size: 20px; rotate: -45deg; position: fixed; top: 30%; left: 9%; /* background-color: green; */ /* border: solid 4px blue; */ text-align: center; font-weight: 700; line-height: 1em; color: #005844; } @media (max-width:490px){ .TearDropRight .TDRitem{ padding: 5px; } .TearDropRight .TDRborder { height: 90px; width: 90px; } .TearDropRight .TDRcopy{ font-size: 10px; } } <div class="TearDropRight"><div class="TDRitem"><div class="TDRborder"><div class="TDRcopy">Engage a cross-functional team</div></div></div><div class="TDRitem"><div class="TDRborder"><div class="TDRcopy">Establish a Baseline</div></div></div><div class="TDRitem"><div class="TDRborder"><div class="TDRcopy">Define time-bound goals</div></div></div><div class="TDRitem"><div class="TDRborder"><div class="TDRcopy">Mobilze the organization</div></div></div><div class="TDRitem"><div class="TDRborder"><div class="TDRcopy">Communicate goals and progress</div></div></div></div></div> .SessionWrapper { border: solid 2px #005844; margin-bottom: 20px; } h2.SessionTitle { font-weight: 700; background-color: #00584422; color: #005844; padding: 15px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 25px; font-size: 33px; } .SessionEvents { margin-bottom: 30px; display:inline-block; } .SessionEvents br { margin-bottom: 10px; } .SessionEvents h3 { font-size: 30px; } .SessionEvents h4 { color: #9d2235; } .SessionEvents ul { list-style: none; /* Remove default bullets */ padding-left: 25px; margin-bottom: 25px; } .SessionEvents ul li { margin-bottom: 7px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 16px; } .SessionEvents ul li::before { content: "●"; font-size: 1em; position: relative; top: 0px; color: #78be20; text-indent: -20px; padding-right: 10px; } .SessionEvents ul li { padding-left: 23px; text-indent: -23px; } .SessionEvents img { margin-top: 25px; } <div class="container SessionWrapper" id="Mission"><div class="row"><h2 class="SessionTitle">Mission Readiness</h2></div><div class="row SessionEvents"><div class="col-md-1"> </div><div class="col-md-10"><p class="center_Lead">Hospitals are encouraged to view resiliency as a means for protecting human health. Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship aligns with health care mission to serve hospitals’ communities by providing a pathway to take action and plan for environmental risks.</p></div><div class="col-md-1"> </div></div></div><div class="container SessionWrapper" id="Value"><div class="row"><h2 class="SessionTitle">Create Value</h2></div><div class="row SessionEvents"><div class="col-md-1"> </div><div class="col-md-10"> ul.sg-ulHeader1 > li{ font-size: 20px; color: #63666A; line-height: 1.4; } <p class="center_Lead">Aligning the organization to empower all employees to improve sustainability can:</p><ul class="sg-ulHeader1"><li>Build new relationships among internal functions to reduce waste and increase value.</li><li>Boost employee motivation and improve retention and recruitment.</li><li>Enhance investment returns by better allocating capital for the long term.</li></ul><p class="center_Lead">Hospitals and health systems committed to sustainability and environmental stewardship strategies could work with department leaders to:</p><ol class="sg-olHeader"><li>Understand the importance of sustainability in health care.</li><li>Commit to seeking out opportunities to change current practices.</li><li>Collaborate with stakeholders to review and assess ongoing performance.</li></ol><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-07/Sus-Wav-Function.jpg" alt="Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship: Sustainability Impacts and Strategies in Health Care – mapped to functional roles. A Visual flow chart of how different areas, ie, Energy, IEQ, Water flow into four areas, ie, Operation Support, Administrative and then split out into further areas, ie, Energy Efficiency, Protect Water, Indoor Air Quality. Source: How Sustainability and Decarbonization Intertwines with Various Organizations in Health Care"><aside> .SReference h2{ color: #9d2235; font-size:14px; } .SReference ul li{ font-size:12px; } <div class="SReference"><h2>References</h2><ul><li><a href="https://www.statnews.com/2022/10/27/health-care-hospitals-climate-pollution/" target="_blank" title="STAT | ‘If I were a hospital, I’d be reading the tea leaves’: Pressures grow on the health care industry to reduce its climate pollution">STAT</a></li><li><a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/five-ways-that-esg-creates-value" target="_blank" title="McKinsey | Five ways that ESG creates value">McKinsey</a></li><li><a href="https://practicegreenhealth.org/sites/default/files/upload-files/practicegreenhealth_ghg_toolkit.pdf" target="_blank" title="Practice Greenhealth | Greenhouse Gas Reduction Toolkit">Practice Greenhealth</a></li></ul></div></aside></div><div class="col-md-1"> </div></div></div> .SessionWrapperTop { border-bottom:0px; margin-bottom:0px; } .SessionWrapperMiddle{ border-top:0px; border-bottom:0px; margin-bottom:0px; } .SessionWrapperBottom { margin-top:0px; border-top:0px; } .SessionWrapperBG{ background-color: #78be2022; } <div class="container SessionWrapper SessionWrapperTop" id="KeyTerms"><div class="row"><h2 class="SessionTitle">Key Terms and Definitions</h2></div><div class="row SessionEvents"><div class="col-md-1"> </div><div class="col-md-10"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-6"><h3>Sustainability</h3> ol.sg-olHeader > li { font-size: 20px; color: #63666A; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.4; font-weight:700 } ol.sg-olHeader > li > ul li { font-size: 20px; color: #63666A; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.4; } <ul class="sg-ulHeader1"><li>In health care, refers to the integration of environmental stewardship and fiduciary responsibility in health care organizations to support healthy and resilient environments and communities maintained over time.</li><li>Meeting the needs of the present, without compromising the ability for future generations to lead healthy lives.</li><li>Based on a simple principle: Everything that we need for our survival and well being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment.</li><li>To pursue sustainability is to create and maintain the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony to support present and future generations.</li></ul></div><div class="col-md-6"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-07/Sus-3Circle.jpg" alt="Visual of three circles overlapping: Planet Environment, Prosperity Economic, and People Health. People (Conversation Philosophy) Prosperity (Moral Economy) People (Development, Land Use) Planet. Sustainability is the overlapping item among all three."></div></div></div><div class="col-md-1"> </div></div></div><div class="container SessionWrapper SessionWrapperMiddle SessionWrapperBG"><div class="row SessionEvents"><div class="col-md-1"> </div><div class="col-md-10"><div class="row container"><div class="col-md-6"><h3>Decarbonization</h3><ul class="sg-ulHeader1"><li>The act of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.</li></ul></div><div class="col-md-6"><h3>Greenhouse Gas Protocol</h3><ul class="sg-ulHeader1"><li>Scope 1: Direct emissions</li><li>Scope 2: Indirect emissions</li><li>Scope 3: Purchased goods and services</li></ul></div></div></div><div class="col-md-1"> </div></div></div><div class="container SessionWrapper SessionWrapperMiddle SessionWrapperBG"><div class><div class="col-md-1"> </div><div class="col-md-10"><div class="col-md-12"><h3><strong>Hospitals GHG Emissions Impact by Category</strong></h3> .shcChartBox{ background-color: #; padding: 15px; margin-bottom: 30px; } .shcChartBox h4{ font-size:22px; line-height: 30px; } @media (min-width:991px){ .shcChartBox{ margin-right: 25px; } } .shcChartBox span{ font-size:larger; background-color:#005844; border:solid 3px #005844; padding:2px 10px; border-radius: 25px 0px; color:white } .shcChartBox.BulletCircle ul { list-style: none; /* Remove default bullets */ padding-left: 0px } .shcChartBox.BulletCircle ul li { margin-bottom: 7px; line-height: 1.5em; } .shcChartBox.BulletCircle ul li::before { content: "■"; font-size: 1em; position: relative; top: 0px; text-indent: -20px; /* key property */ margin-left: 20px; /* key property */ padding-right:10px; } .shcChartBox.BulletCircle ul li { text-indent: -40px; /* key property */ margin-left: 30px; /* key property */ } .shcChartBox.BulletCircle ul li.BulletCircleFacilities::before{ color:#69b3e7; } .shcChartBox.BulletCircle ul li.BulletCircleTransportation::before { color:#003087; } .shcChartBox.BulletCircle ul li.BulletCircleProcurement::before { color:#FED141; } .shcChartBox.BulletCircle ul li.BulletCircleEvs::before { color:#78be20; } .shcChartBox.BulletCircle ul li.BulletCirclePharmacy::before { color:#d50032; } .shcChartBox.BulletCircle ul li.BulletCircleDietary::before { color:#eaaa00; } .shcChartBox.BulletCircle ul li.BulletCircleTreasury::before { color:#B1B383; } .shcChartBox.BulletCircle ul li.BulletCircleAll::before { color:#63666A; } .shcChartBox.BulletCircle ul.BulletCircleToc li { float:left; margin-right:15px; } .shcChartBox.BulletCircle ul.BulletCircleToc li{ /*font-size:14px !important*/ } <div class="col-md-6"><div class="row"><div class="shcChartBox BulletCircle"><h4><span>Scope 1</span> Direct emissions emanating directly from health care facilities and health care owned vehicles.</h4><ul class="sg-ulHeader1"><li class="BulletCircleFacilities" title="In Facilities">Combustion of Natural Gas</li><li class="BulletCircleFacilities" title="In Facilities">Combustion of Diesel Generators</li><li class="BulletCircleFacilities" title="In Facilities">Emissions from Refrigerants</li><li class="BulletCircleFacilities" title="In Facilities">Medical Gas System leaks and exhaust</li><li class="BulletCircleFacilities" title="In Facilities">Landscape and misc equipment emissions</li><li class="BulletCircleTransportation" title="In Transportation">Fleet Fuel combustion</li></ul></div></div><div class="row"><div class="shcChartBox BulletCircle"><h4><span>Scope 2</span> Indirect emissions from purchased energy sources such as electricity, steam, cooling and heating.</h4><ul class="sg-ulHeader1"><li class="BulletCircleFacilities" title="In Facilities">Emissions from purchased energy</li></ul></div></div></div><div class="col-md-6"><div class="row"><div class="shcChartBox BulletCircle"><h4><span>Scope 3</span> Emissions derived from health care supply chain through the production, transport and disposal of goods and services.</h4><ul class="sg-ulHeader1"><li class="BulletCircleFacilities" title="In Facilities">Water Embodied Carbon</li><li class="BulletCircleFacilities" title="In Facilities">Building Product/Supplies Embodied Carbon</li><li class="BulletCircleTransportation" title="In Transportation">Patient Transportation</li><li class="BulletCircleTransportation" title="In Transportation">Visitor Transportation</li><li class="BulletCircleTransportation" title="In Transportation">Staff Transportation</li><li class="BulletCircleTransportation" title="In Transportation">Vendor Transportation</li><li class="BulletCircleProcurement" title="In Procurement">Equipment Embodied Carbon</li><li class="BulletCircleProcurement" title="In Procurement">Supplies Embodied Carbon</li><li class="BulletCircleEvs" title="In EVS">Waste</li><li class="BulletCirclePharmacy" title="In Pharmacy">Pharmaceuticals Embodied Carbon</li><li class="BulletCircleDietary" title="In Dietary">Food Embodied Carbon</li><li class="BulletCircleTreasury" title="In Treasury">Investments</li><li class="BulletCircleAll" title="In All">Emissions of Outsourced Services</li></ul></div></div></div> .shcItemsLine { border-bottom:solid 1px #005844; margin-top:25px; margin-bottom:50px; } <div class="col-md-10 col-md-offset-1 shcItemsLine"> </div><div class="col-md-12 shcChartBox BulletCircle"><h4>Hospital Specific Emissions by Department</h4><ul class="BulletCircleToc sg-ulHeader1"><li class="BulletCircleFacilities">Facilities</li><li class="BulletCircleTransportation">Transportation</li><li class="BulletCircleProcurement">Procurement, Clinicians, Clinical Engineering</li><li class="BulletCircleEvs">Environmental Services (EVS)</li><li class="BulletCirclePharmacy">Pharmacy, Procurement, Environmental Services (EVS)</li><li class="BulletCircleDietary">Dietary</li><li class="BulletCircleTreasury">Treasury</li><li class="BulletCircleAll">All</li></ul></div></div></div><div class="col-md-1"> </div></div></div><div class="container SessionWrapper SessionWrapperMiddle"><div class="row SessionEvents"><div class="col-md-1"> </div><div class="col-md-10"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-6"><h3>Net-zero Energy</h3><ul class="sg-ulHeader1"><li>On an annual basis, uses equivalent energy from the utility grid that is provided by onsite renewable energy sources.</li><li>Not the same as “carbon neutral."</li></ul></div><div class="col-md-6"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-07/Sus-Site-Boundary.jpg" alt="Visual for energy transfer; 'Delivered Energy' into ie, Energy Use, Building Systems that flow in the 'Building Needs' (ie, heating, cooling, ventilation). With 'Exported Energy' going back out. "></div></div></div><div class="col-md-1"> </div></div></div><div class="container SessionWrapper SessionWrapperMiddle SessionWrapperBG"><div class="row SessionEvents"><div class="col-md-1"> </div><div class="col-md-10"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-6"><h3>Carbon-neutral</h3><ul class="sg-ulHeader1"><li>In addition to energy consumption (scope 1 and 2 emissions), carbon neutrality “includes emissions beyond the entity’s direct control (scope 3 emissions)."</li></ul><p>Reference: IPCC AR6 WGIII</p></div><div class="col-md-6"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-07/Sus-Carbon-Neutral-circles.png" alt="Visuals: First, a circle (1) within a circle (2) – Net-Zero Energy is limited to Scope 1& 2 emissions. Second, three circles within each other; 3, 2, 1 – Carbon Neutrality includes Scope 1, 2,& 3 emissions for the whole organization. ~80% of emissions are from the Supply Chain."></div></div></div><div class="col-md-1"> </div></div></div><div class="container SessionWrapper SessionWrapperBottom"><div class="row SessionEvents"><div class="col-md-1"> </div><div class="col-md-10"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-6"><h3>Embodied Carbon</h3><ul class="sg-ulHeader1"><li>The greenhouse gas emissions associated with the manufacturing, transportation, installation, maintenance and disposal of purchased products/materials. For example:<ul class="sg-ulHeader1"><li>Medical supplies and equipment</li><li>Pharmaceuticals</li><li>Food</li><li>Construction material</li></ul></li></ul></div><div class="col-md-6"><h3>Operational Carbon</h3><ul class="sg-ulHeader1"><li>The greenhouse gas emissions associated with daily operations. For example:<ul class="sg-ulHeader1"><li>Building energy consumption</li><li>Anesthetic gases</li><li>Refrigerants onsite</li><li>Staff commuting</li><li>Business travel</li></ul></li></ul></div></div><aside><div class="SReference"><h2>References</h2><ul><li><a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/sixth-assessment-report-working-group-3/" target="_blank" title="IPCC | Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change">IPCC AR6 WGIII</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/downloads/faqs/IPCC_AR6_WGIII_FAQ_Chapter_01.pdf" target="_blank" title="IPCC AR6 WGIII FAQ Chapter 01">IPCC FAQ Chapter 1</a></li></ul></div></aside></div><div class="col-md-1"> </div></div></div><div class="container SessionWrapper" id="Carbon"><div class="row"><h2 class="SessionTitle">Carbon in Health Care</h2></div><div class="row SessionEvents"><div class="col-md-1"> </div><div class="col-md-10"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-6"><h3>Emissions are categorized as scope 1, 2 and 3, but can also be analyzed in functional roles:</h3><ul class="sg-ulHeader1"><li><strong>Operations</strong><ul class="sg-ulHeader1"><li>Energy consumption (scope 1 and 2)</li><li>Refrigerants (scope 1)</li><li>Construction (scopes 1-3)</li><li>Water (scope 3)</li><li>Food (scope 3)</li><li>Waste (scope 3)</li><li>Information and computer technology (scope 3)</li></ul></li><li><strong>Clinical</strong><ul class="sg-ulHeader1"><li>Anesthetic gases (scope 1)</li><li>Medical waste (scope 3)</li><li>Testing and research (scope 3)</li><li>Pharmaceuticals (scope 3)</li><li>Purchased goods and services (scope 3), including medical devices and supplies</li></ul></li><li><strong>Administrative (all scope 3)</strong><ul class="sg-ulHeader1"><li>Business travel</li><li>Lending, banking, investments and insuranc</li></ul></li></ul><p><strong>Note:</strong> The figure to the right represents global health care emissions. Scope 3 for U.S. health care is calculated to be 80% of the total carbon emissions.</p></div><div class="col-md-6"><div><p><strong>Carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are often used interchangeably. This is because GHG emissions are measured in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), often abbreviated as “carbon."</strong></p></div><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-01/Sus-Relation.jpg" alt="Chart of Relationship of GHGP categories to WIOD emissions sources. Scope 1 17% with Health sector operational emissions and Transport - Scope 3 71% with ie, Transport, Agriculture, Pharmaceuticals and chemical products, Waste treatment – Scope 2 12% with distributions of electricity, gas, heat and cooling."></div></div> .SusLogos img { max-width: 200px; width: auto; display: block; margin: auto; } <div class="row spacer SusLogos"><div class="col-sm-4"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-07/Energy-Star-Partner-Logo-687x277.png" alt="Energy Star Partner Logo"></div><div class="col-sm-4"><img src="/sites/default/files/2023-04/ASHE-logo_Primary-RGB-Tagline_R_296x142.png" alt="ASHE Logo"></div><div class="col-sm-4"><img src="/sites/default/files/2023-06/ASHE-Energy-to-Care-Logo-2023_FINAL.png" alt="Energy to Care Logo"></div></div><div class="row spacer"><div class="col-md-12"><p class="center_Lead">Over 3,500 health care facilities are tracking emissions associated with facility energy consumption in Energy to Care, the American Society for Health Care Engineering’s (ASHE’s) award-winning sustainability program for health care facility management professionals who want to add value to their organizations via an environmental sustainability focus.</p><p class="center_Lead">The majority of scope 1 and 2 emissions for health care organizations can be tracked in the Energy to Care dashboard, a free tool provided by ASHE.</p></div></div></div><div class="col-md-1"> </div></div></div><div class="container SessionWrapper" id="Measuring"><div class="row"><h2 class="SessionTitle">Measuring Carbon in Your Organization</h2></div><div class><div class="col-md-1"> </div><div class="col-md-10"><div class="raw-html-embed"> <div class="row" id="Glossary"> <div class> <div class="acc_tabs"> /* Bottom of the Wrapper*/ .acc_tabs { margin-bottom: 25px; } /* reset */ .acc_tabs ul.acc-container { margin: 0; padding: 0; list-style: none; padding: 0 10px 10px 10px; display: inline-block; } .acc_tabs input[type=radio], .acc_tabs input[type=checkbox] { display: none; } /* style */ .acc_tabs .acc-container { width: 100%; } /* Label: Nonactive */ .acc_tabs .acc-container label { display: block; position: relative; cursor: pointer; font-weight: bold; border-bottom: 3px solid #78be20; -webkit-transition: all .2s ease; -moz-transition: all .2s ease; -ms-transition: all .2s ease; -o-transition: all .2s ease; transition: all .2s ease; margin-top: 15px; font-size: 16px/*Default 18px*/; padding: 5px 10px/*Default 10px 20px*/; color: #005844; background-color: #00584411/*Default #eee*/ ; line-height:18px; } /* Label: Active */ .acc_tabs .acc-container input:checked + label, .acc_tabs .acc-container label:hover { background-color: #78be20/*Defaut #69b3e7 003087 */ ; } /* Label: Active, Hover */ .acc_tabs .acc-container input:checked + label, .acc_tabs .acc-container label:hover, .acc_tabs .acc-container input:checked + label p, .acc_tabs .acc-container label:hover p { color: #fff; } /* Arrow: Closed */ .acc_tabs .acc-container label:after { content: ""; width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #005844; border-right: 6px solid transparent; border-bottom: 8px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid transparent; position: absolute; right: 10px; top: 16px; } /* Arrow: Open */ .acc_tabs .acc-container input:checked + label:after { border-top: 8px solid transparent; border-right: 6px solid transparent; border-bottom: 8px solid #005844; border-left: 6px solid transparent; top: 6px; } /* Container */ .acc_tabs .acc-content { padding: 0 20px 20px; display: none; overflow: auto; font-weight: ; color: #555 } .acc_tabs .acc-container input:checked ~ .acc-content { display: block; /*border-left: solid 1px #d9d9d6; border-right: solid 1px #d9d9d6; border-bottom: solid 1px #d9d9d6;*/ padding-top: 10px; } .acc-items label { margin-bottom: 0px; text-align:center; height: auto; min-height: 200px; } .acc-items ul { list-style: none; /* Remove default bullets */ padding-left: 0px; margin-bottom: 25px; } .acc-items ul li { margin-bottom: 7px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 14px; } .acc-items ul li::before { content: "●"; font-size: 1em; position: relative; top: 0px; color: #78be20; text-indent: -20px; padding-right: 10px; } .acc-items ul li { padding-left: 0px; text-indent: -23px; font-size:20px; } /* External Wrapper */ .acc_tabs .tab ~ .tabcontent { border: solid 1px #d9d9d6; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 25px; clear: both; } /* Style the tab */ /* No need for the "@media(min-width:640px){" if only have two tabs with one word */ .acc_tabs .tab { display: -webkit-box; display: -webkit-flex; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; } /* Section behind the Tabs*/ .acc_tabs .tab { background-color: #fff; width: auto; height: auto; overflow: auto; } /* Buttons - aka Tabs */ .acc_tabs .tab>[class*='tablinks'] { width: calc(100%/2 - 30px); margin: 0px 15px/*Default Margin 0px 15px, if 6 tabs 0px 7px*/ ; font-size: 20px/*Default 20px, 12px if 6 tabs*/ ; background-color: #B1b3b344/*Default #B1b3b344*/ ; color: #003087/*Default #003087 - nonactive*/ ; padding: 10px 14px 10px 14px; border: solid 1px #B1b3b344; display: block; outline: none; text-align: left; cursor: pointer; transition: 0.3s; float: left; overflow: auto; -webkit-border-top-left-radius: 15px; -webkit-border-top-right-radius: 15px; -moz-border-radius-topleft: 15px; -moz-border-radius-topright: 15px; border-top-left-radius: 15px; border-top-right-radius: 15px; font-weight: 700; } @media (max-width:500px) { /* Buttons - aka Tabs */ .acc_tabs .tab>[class*='tablinks'] { width: calc(100%/2 - 10px); font-size: 12px; margin: 0px 5px } } @media (max-width:320px) { /* Buttons - aka Tabs */ .acc_tabs .tab>[class*='tablinks'] { width: calc(100%/2 - 10px); font-size: 10px; margin: 0px 5px } } /* Change background color of buttons on hover */ .acc_tabs .tab button:hover { background-color: #003087/*Default #003087*/ ; color: #fff/*Default #fff*/ ; } /* Active/Current "tab button" */ .acc_tabs .tab button.active { background-color: #003087/*Default #003087*/ ; color: #fff/*Default #fff*/ ; } /* Style the tab content - Dont htink is needed .acc_tabs .tab .tabcontent{ float: right !important; padding: 15px 12px; border: 1px solid #ccc; width: 100%; height: auto; }*/ .acc_tabs .tablinks:after { content: '\2610'; color: #777; font-weight: bold; float: right; margin-left: 5px; } .acc_tabs .tablinks.active:after { content: "\2611"; } /* For Indented Bulleted List */ .bullet-list-optA { list-style: none; } .bullet-list-optA>li { margin-bottom: 15px; } .bullet-list-optA h3 { margin-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; } .bullet-list-optA h4 { margin: 0px; font-size: ; } .bullet-list-optA li ul li a { font-weight: 700; } .bullet-list-optA li ul li p { margin-bottom: 0px; } @media (min-width:992px) { .acc-container>li { width: calc((100% / 4) - 26px)/*Adjust # for the number per row, will override the bootstrap - Also needed for Safari*/ ; float: left; margin:13px; } } @media (max-width:991px) and (min-width:568px) { .acc-container>li { width: calc((100% / 2) - 40px)/*Adjust # for the number per row, will override the bootstrap - Also needed for Safari*/ ; float: left; margin: 20px; } } @media (max-width:587px){ li.acc-items { margin: 15px; } } /* xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx */ .acc-container .acc-items label::before { content: ""; width: 0px; height: 0px; border-style: solid; border-width: 25px 0 25px 25px; border-color: transparent transparent transparent #78be20; transform: rotate(0deg); float: right; position: relative; right: -35px; top: -4px; } Tab 1 Tab 2 </div> --> <div class="tabcontent" id="TabOne"> <ul class="acc-container rowEqual_xxx"> <li class="acc-items"> <img src="/sites/default/files/2025-07/Sus-MeasuringCarbon-1.png" alt>Get Started: Scope and Plan Inventory <div class="acc-content"> <ul> <li>Review GHG accounting standards and methods for organizational reporting</li> <li>Determine organizational and operational boundaries</li> <li>Choose a base year</li> <li>Consider 3rd party verification</li> </ul> </div> </li> <li class="acc-items"> <img src="/sites/default/files/2025-07/Sus-MeasuringCarbon-2.png" alt>Collect Data and Quantify GHG Emissions <div class="acc-content"> <ul> <li>Identify data requirements and preferred methods for data collection</li> <li> Develop data collection procedures, tools, and guidance tools</li> <li>Compile and review facility data (e.g., electricity, natural gas</li> <li>Choose emissions factors</li> <li>Calculate emissions</li> </ul> </div> </li> <li class="acc-items"> <img src="/sites/default/files/2025-07/Sus-MeasuringCarbon-3.png" alt>Develop a GHG Inventory Management Plan <div class="acc-content"> <ul> <li>Formalize data collection procedures and document process in inventory Management Plan</li> </ul> </div> </li> <li class="acc-items"> <img src="/sites/default/files/2025-07/Sus-MeasuringCarbon-4.png" alt>Set a GHG Emission Reduction Target and Track and Report Process <div class="acc-content"> <ul> <li>Finalize data</li> <li>Complete third-party verification (recommended)</li> <li>Report data as needed</li> <li>Prepare to set publicly reported GHG target and track progress</li> </ul> </div> </li> </ul> </div> <ul class="acc-container"> item 1 <div class="acc-content"> <p>====</p> </div> </li> </ul> <div> --> </div> </div> </div> </div></div><div class="col-md-1"> </div></div></div> Fri, 18 Jul 2025 19:00:00 -0500 Decarbonization /foreword-and-executive-summary-electrifying-heat-existing-hospital <div class="raw-html-embed"> </div><div> #main-content p, #main-content ol>li, #main-content ul>li{ font-size:16px } </div> .Banner_Title_Overlay_Bar { position: relative; display: block; overflow: hidden; max-width: 1170px; margin: 0px auto 0px auto; } .LogoInsert { position: absolute; top: 0px; height:100%; left:0px; } .LogoInsert img{ max-width:500px; max-height:125px; top:calc(50% - 125px/2); left:calc(100% + 50px); position:absolute; } .LogoInsert h1{ position:absolute; left:0px; bottom:0px; width:500px; opacity:0; margin: 0px; padding: 0; } @media (max-width:640px) { .LogoBG { object-fit: cover; height: 200px; } .LogoInsert img { max-width: 250px; left: calc(100% + 15px); top: calc(50% - 112px/2); background-color: #00584499; padding: 25px; border-radius: 30px 0px; } } @media (max-width:320px) { .LogoBG { height: 150px; } } <header class="Banner_Title_Overlay_Bar"><img class="LogoBG" src="/sites/default/files/2023-03/sustainability-roadmap-web-home-banner-1170x250.jpg" alt="Banner Image - Glass Earth sitting in a hand over tall grass"><div class="LogoInsert"><img src="/sites/default/files/2023-03/SustainabilityRoadmap_Logo_Hor-white_700x217.png" alt="Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care | Achieving Your Sustainability Goals - Logo"></div></header> .shcIntro{ background-color:#78be2022; padding: 5px 50px 15px 50px; margin-bottom:20px; } .shcIntro h1, .shcIntro h2, .shcIntro h3 { color: #005844; text-align: center; } .shcIntro h1{ font-size:2em; } .shcIntro h2{ font-size:1.6em; } shcIntro ul{ color: grey; } <div class="shcIntro"><h1>Foreword and Executive Summary - Electrifying Heat in an Existing Hospital</h1><h2>Providence St. Peter Hospital Decarbonization Case Study</h2></div><div class="raw-html-embed"> <div class="row"> /* TocMini */ .TocMini { margin: 0px auto 25px; padding-bottom: 5px; color: #005844; letter-spacing: 1.5px; font-weight: 400; font-size: .7em; width: 80%; } .TocMini .TocMiniBar { border: 1px solid #78be20; padding: 5px 10px; overflow: auto; border-radius: 20px 0px; } .TocMini .TocMiniBar .TocMiniGroup a:after { content: "|"; padding: 0 3px 0 6px; color: #253b80; font-weight: 700; } .TocMini .TocMiniBar .TocMiniGroup a:last-child:after { content: ""; } .TocMini .TocMiniGroup { float: right; } .TocMini .TocMiniHome { text-transform: uppercase; color: #005844; font-weight: 700; } .TocMini .TocMiniChild { font-weight: 500; opacity: .9; color: #555; } .TocMini .TocMiniHome:hover, .TocMini .TocMiniChild:hover { text-transform: ; color: #5fa1d0; } .TocMini .TocMiniActive{ font-weight: 700; color: #5fa1d0; } /* TocMini // */ <div class="TocMini"> <div class="TocMiniBar"> <a class="TocMiniHome" href="/sustainability" target="_blank" title="Home - Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care">Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care</a> <div class="TocMiniGroup"> <a class="TocMiniChild" href="https://www.ashe.org/sustainability" target="_blank" title="ASHE Sustainability for Health Care Facilities">Sustainability for Health Care Facilities</a> <a class="TocMiniChild" href="/sustainability/glossary" target="_blank" title="Glossary">Glossary</a> <a class="TocMiniChild" href="https://www.ashe.org/sustainability/healquest" target="_blank" title="HealQuest">HealQuest<sup>TM</sup></a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> .shcHighlight h3{ color:#005844; font-size:2em; } .shcHighlight span{ font-weight:700; color:#78be20; } <div class="row shcHighlight BulletCircle"><div class="col-sm-3"><p><a href="/system/files/media/file/2024/12/Electrifying-Heat-in-an-Existing-Hospital_Foreward_ExecutiveSummary.pdf" target="_blank" title="Download Executive Summary: Electrifying Heat in an Existing Hospital Providence St. Peter Hospital Decarbonization Case Study"><img src="/sites/default/files/2024-12/Electrifying-Heat-in-an-Existing-Hospital_COVER_300x300.png" alt="Electrifying Heat in an Existing Hospital - Cover" width="100%"> </a></p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="/system/files/media/file/2024/12/Electrifying-Heat-in-an-Existing-Hospital_Foreward_ExecutiveSummary.pdf" target="_blank" title="Download Executive Summary: Electrifying Heat in an Existing Hospital Providence St. Peter Hospital Decarbonization Case Study">Download Executive Summary</a></p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://ams.aha.org/EWEB/DynamicPage.aspx?WebCode=ProdDetailAdd&ivd_prc_prd_key=7c7e2358-16cd-4910-99f7-174d8452884c" target="_blank" title="Purchase the full, Electrifying Heat in an Existing Hospital - Case Study">Purchase Full Case Study</a></p></div><div class="col-sm-9"><h3>Foreword</h3><p>Recognizing the growing interest in decarbonizing the health care sector, the American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) sought to support its members wishing to decarbonize their facilities, and in April 2023 ASHE began discussions with Providence about the need for a comprehensive case study to examine the feasibility of decarbonizing an existing hospital building. There had been extensive effort on guidance for decarbonizing new hospital buildings, but little information was available about the decarbonization of an existing hospital building. Additionally, there was speculation about the feasibility of decarbonizing an existing hospital from a technical and financial perspective.</p><p>As ASHE explored the concept of sponsoring a case study and investigating the feasibility of decarbonizing an existing hospital building, Providence was identified as a key partner due to its leadership in environmental sustainability and its desire to share lessons learned broadly with the field. Providence St. Peter Hospital (PSPH), a community hospital in Olympia, Wash., was selected for the case study project. The hospital is 733,000 square feet and has 372 licensed beds, and its first phase was built in 1969 during the Hill-Burton era when thousands of health care facilities were built nationwide. Geographical location and climate were considered when selecting a case study hospital and the mild climate of Olympia, Wash., was considered appropriate since it represents a baseline case study demonstrating the feasibility of decarbonizing in a temperate geographical location. In addition, the fact that PSPH was ahead of many others on its journey toward decarbonization was considered. The hospital has robust utility and building metering and utilizes 100% renewable power. As a health care system, Providence has developed a climate action plan that incorporates decarbonization strategies for anesthetic gases, transportation, waste and electricity. For PSPH, the missing piece from the overall decarbonization strategy was the thermal energy load. For that reason, the ASHE study investigated decarbonizing the thermal load specifically.</p></div> @media (min-width:768px){ .column2{ column-count: 2; } } <div class="col-sm-12 column2"><p><strong>The research for the case study took place over a year, and there were several key takeaways identified.</strong> <strong>First</strong>, it is technically feasible for PSPH to decarbonize the thermal load. However, due to the nature of the hospital as a patient care environment and the need for normal operations, it will take 10 to 15 years to achieve carbon neutrality for the thermal load. This is an important factor because it demonstrates the need for careful planning and early preparation as organizations seek to decarbonize.</p><p><strong>Second</strong>, for this hospital it is financially feasible to decarbonize the thermal load. The study estimated that full electrification of the thermal load would cost around $100/square foot in capital expenditures. Several financial mechanisms are available today that might help PSPH move forward with electrification, such as the incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.</p><p><strong>Finally</strong>, it is noteworthy that technologies for decarbonization are emerging, continually changing and moving very quickly. Equipment that is on the cutting edge today will be out of circulation by the time the thermal system is fully electrified. This is a critical consideration and emphasizes the need to plan early and be mindful that technologies will shift.</p><p><strong>The case study provides a detailed outline of the steps one hospital is taking to achieve this feat. Yet, to be clear, this publication is not intended to be a playbook for electrifying any given hospital, nor is it meant to be a benchmark by which other hospitals pursuing this goal should be measured.</strong> The path to complete electrification is an extremely complex and bespoke process. Each electrification plan must be tailored to the specific goals of a given health care facility or system as well as regulatory requirements that govern that facility and the needs of the communities it serves.</p></div><div class="col-sm-12"><p>As a mechanical engineer who has built my career around environmental stewardship and sustainability in health care, this case study project, while a huge endeavor, was also a labor of love and a pleasure to be a part of. I would like to thank Fred Betz, Ph.D., for his tireless effort in leading the study as well as other contributors including Peter Dahl, define sustainability; Sagar Rao, NeuMod Labs; Walt Vernon, Mazzetti; and Kyle Victor, McKinstry. Other key contributors include Yousif Alshaba, Scott Acker and Mark Thynes, McKinstry; Jennifer Ashlock, Puget Sound Energy; Jeff Probst, Konvekta; and Tom Gelin, Air Flow, Inc. A huge thank you goes to the Providence Southwest Washington Foundation’s Environmental Stewardship Fund and the Washington State Society for Healthcare Engineering, whose gracious donations to support this important study ensured its completion. I would also like to thank my friends at Providence, including Ali Santore, Elizabeth Schenk, Ph.D., Dave Thomsen and Geoffrey Glass, for their leadership and commitment to the project. Lastly, I want to express my gratitude to the PSPH facilities team, including Clay Ciolek and Gregory Pries, whose dedication and expertise proved exceedingly valuable.</p><p>It is my hope that this case study will serve as a success story, meant to inspire and demonstrate that this feat, which not so long ago seemed impossible, might be, in fact, within reach. If hospital electrification were a competitive sport, PSPH would be an Olympic gold medalist. No doubt, the hospital’s incredible efforts have set a new standard and raised the caliber of what is possible in sustainability. While not every hospital can be held to the standard set by PSPH, their example should encourage more health care facilities to try. As they say, a rising tide lifts all boats.</p><p><cite>Kara Brooks, MS, LEED AP BD+C, Senior associate director of sustainability, AHA </cite></p></div></div> .shcItems{ border: solid 2px #005844; padding-top: 25px; padding-bottom: 25px; border-radius: 75px 0px; /*margin-top:50px;*/ margin-bottom:50px; padding-left:25px; padding-right:25px; } .shcItems h2{ text-align:center; color:#005844; /* margin-bottom:50px;*/ } .shcItems h3{ color:#005844; text-align:center; font-size:28px; } .shcItems h4{ color:#78be20; } .shcItems .shcItemsLine { border-bottom:solid 1px #78be20; margin-top:25px; margin-bottom:50px; } .BulletCircle ul { list-style: none; /* Remove default bullets */ padding-left: 0px } .BulletCircle ul li { margin-bottom: 7px; line-height: 1.5em; } .BulletCircle ul li::before { content: "●"; font-size: 1em; position: relative; top: 0px; color:#78be20; text-indent: -20px; /* key property */ margin-left: 20px; /* key property */ padding-right:10px } .BulletCircle ul li { text-indent: -40px; /* key property */ margin-left: 30px; /* key property */ } .BulletCircle ol li::marker{ color: #78be20; font-weight:700; <div class="row" id="Summary"><div class="col-md-12 shcItems BulletCircle"><h3>Executive Summary</h3><p>The American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) funded a decarbonization feasibility case study at Providence St. Peter Hospital (PSPH) in Olympia, Wash., with the goal of verifying the technical and financial feasibility of achieving Scope 1 and Scope 2 carbon neutrality at PSPH.<sup>1</sup> This facility was selected as a typical large inpatient hospital that represents a reasonable reference for the health care industry. The operations and unique features of hospitals, such as requiring steam for sterilization, makes them more complex to electrify than many other commercial buildings.</p><p>Two major challenges are addressed in this study: (1) determining pathways to achieve electrification of the heating plant while maintaining a resilient supply of energy and supporting a full service of operations and (2) determining the impact on the electrical utility supply to achieve beneficial electrification. The goal for PSPH is to eliminate combustion-based Scope 1 emissions by electrifying the heating plant that currently exists: two dual-fueled boilers. This goal also includes discontinuing the natural gas supply to eliminate the associated upstream methane leaks and complements the 100% renewable electricity already being purchased by the hospital.</p><p>The approach to assessing and decarbonizing PSPH was to carefully analyze the existing conditions, the energy use and peak heating demand by end-use. The next step was to identify approaches to reduce heating loads through investments in certain technologies and account for the overall impact. A calibrated energy model was developed per ASHRAE Guideline 14, Measurement of Energy, Demand, and Water Savings, requirements to fill in any data gaps and to further support energy and financial analyses.<sup>2</sup> The recommended strategy is based on a systems-thinking approach to address as many demand-side energy savings measures as feasible to reduce the plant load. The installed heating capacity is 25 million British thermal units (Btu) per hour (MMBtu/hr) or 7,327 kilowatts (kW), and the measured peak load was 20 MMBtu/hr (5,861 kW), which can be reduced to 11 MMBtu/hr (3,224 kW) if all demand-side measures are implemented. The reduced heating load will enable greater flexibility on the heating hot water (HHW) distribution side in terms of smaller pipe sizes and lower temperatures. The target peak HHW temperature is 140 F to achieve efficient heat pump operation. However, this is dependent on the level of implementation of demand-side measures, especially on the envelope upgrades. Upon completion of the distribution system upgrades, the heating plant can be upgraded with air-source heat pumps as the primary source of thermal energy for normal operation and augmented with a heat recovery chiller and 100,000 gallons of HHW storage.</p><p><strong>The implementation of the decarbonization strategy will need to be phased and may take several years to implement depending on available resources.</strong></p><h4 class="text-align-center">The recommended phasing is as follows:</h4><div class="row"><div class="col-sm-6"><ul><li><strong>Demand-side upgrades (nine-year duration).</strong><ul><li>Implement air-side heat recovery upgrades.</li><li>Add insulation and glazing upgrades.</li><li>Upgrade process steam-using systems (kitchen and sterile processing areas).</li><li>Continue implementing other energy savings measures.</li></ul></li></ul></div><div class="col-sm-6"><ul><li><strong>Distribution system upgrades (one- to two-year duration).</strong><ul><li>Migrate loads to existing HHW pipes after demand-side upgrades are completed.</li><li>Replace steam pipes with HHW pipes (starting in springtime to have seven months of low heating demand before cold weather arrives in winter).</li></ul></li></ul></div></div><div class="row"><div class="col-sm-6"><ul><li><strong>Replace steam converters with heat exchangers for service hot water loops.</strong><ul><li>Add variable primary HHW pumping system.</li></ul></li></ul></div><div class="col-sm-6"><ul><li><strong>Plant system upgrades (three- to five-year duration).</strong><ul><li>Add a south expansion or penthouse to the central utility plant to house the air source heat pumps.</li><li>Upgrade electrical infrastructure, add generators and add generator jacket heat recovery.</li><li>Install air-source heat pumps.</li><li>Decommission boilers.</li><li>Install thermal storage or microgrid in boiler footprints.</li></ul></li></ul></div></div><div class="col-md-10 col-md-offset-1 shcItemsLine"> </div><div class="col-sm-6"><p>There are two somewhat unique features at PSPH that simplify the electrification and decarbonization process. First, the hospital does not have humidification due to the marine climate not requiring it. Relative humidity data was analyzed that demonstrated compliance with a minimum 30% relative humidity for all hours with excursions below 30% for less than 12 hours per year. The relative humidity did not fall below 20%. Second, the service hot water (SHW) system operates at 120 F, which simplifies serving the SHW from the HHW loop rather than either running a warmer HHW loop or applying a stand alone heat pump system. Although it is more common to operate SHW systems at 140 F per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance, no legionella concerns have arisen at PSPH at the lower temperatures.</p></div><div class="col-sm-6"><p>The resilience strategy is to maintain on-site diesel fuel storage that can support generators and boilers in the near term. The generators will be upgraded to include engine jacket water heat recovery to support the heating demand during a power outage when the plant is upgraded. The heat recovery effectively turns the generators into a combined heat and power system providing both electrical and thermal energy to the hospital during outages. The boilers will stay in place until operational proficiency is achieved with the heat pump plant and generator heat recovery. Current testing and emergency power use accounts for approximately 4% of annual on-site combustion emissions. Resilience solutions such as thermal storage and microgrids will be reevaluated to replace the boilers as the technology matures.</p><p>Microgrids are being implemented in a few hospitals today that can be referenced for this study and should align with this project’s timeline. For now, on-site fuel storage is being accepted as a resilience solution as it is a small emission source due to few run hours and it assists in eliminating the natural gas connection that results in methane leaks.</p></div><div class="col-md-12"><p><strong>The study investigated four potential scenarios for the hospital between 2024 and 2041 based on a regulatory framework of the recently passed Seattle Building Emissions Performance Standard.</strong></p><ol><li><strong>Scenario 0</strong> is a business-as-usual case where the hospital accepts a onetime $7.5 million fine and makes incremental capital improvements over time.</li><li><strong>Scenario 1</strong> is the minimum disruption scenario that only replaces the existing dual-fuel boilers with two electric resistance boilers plus supporting generators and leaves the balance of the systems in place.</li><li><strong>Scenario 2</strong> implements demand-side energy savings measures on 100% outside air systems, electrified process loads with heat pumps or standalone electric boilers and a host of other demand-side energy savings measures. An air-source heat pump plant would then be implemented to support the 16 MMBtu/hr (4,689 kW) heating load.</li><li><strong>Scenario 3A</strong> adds envelope energy savings measures to replace single-pane windows and insulation to uninsulated or partially insulated walls. The envelope measures reduce the heating load to 11 MMBtu/hr (3,224 kW).</li><li><strong>Scenario 3B</strong> was broken out to isolate the impact of the insulation improvements as it is a costly upgrade with a poor return on investment.</li></ol><p>A third-party cost estimate was developed to inform the three decarbonization scenarios. A detailed list of systems, components and materials is described in Chapter 7, Capital Equipment and Costs. The capital cost for Scenario 1 was estimated to be $57,711,000, or $79/ft<sup>2</sup>, for Scenario 2 was estimated to be $62,171,000, or $85/ft<sup>2</sup>, for Scenario 3A was estimated to be $80,425,000, or $110/ft<sup>2</sup>, and for Scenario 3B was estimated to be $68,400,000, or $93/ft<sup>2</sup>. For reference, a full tenant improvement (TI) on a hospital is between $100/ft<sup>2</sup> and $150/ft<sup>2</sup>. However, the square footage is the entirety of the hospital or 733,000 ft<sup>2</sup>. Also, the TI is nearly exclusively focused on infrastructure enhancements, which is atypical for a TI.</p><p>A cost model using 2024 dollars was built for a 17-year time frame that compiled capital cost, energy cost and carbon fines using the cost estimate, energy models and an estimate of a future Olympia, Wash., carbon fine based on the current Seattle Building Emissions Performance Standard fine structure. The cost results are compiled in the following figure.</p><div class="col-md-12 spacer"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-01/Electrifying-Heat-in-an-Existing-Hospital_Chart-01-v2_1170x588.jpg" alt="Providence St. Peter Hospital Cost Model Scenarios From 2024 to 2041 | Cost numbers per square foot for BAU ($62, 10, 20) Scenario 1 ($85, -, 79), 2 ($69, -, 83), 3a ($65, -, 110), 3b ($65, -, 93) in Utilitay Cost, Carbon Fines, and Capital"></div><div class="col-md-6"><p><strong>The total cost of ownership over 17 years for each case is as follows:</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Scenario 0:</strong> $67.2 million ($92/ft2)</li><li><strong>Scenario 1:</strong> $124.2 million ($169/ft2)</li><li><strong>Scenario 2:</strong> $112.6 million ($154/ft2)</li><li><strong>Scenario 3A:</strong> $130.0 million ($177/ft2)</li><li><strong>Scenario 3B:</strong> $118.4 million ($162/ft2)</li></ul></div><div class="col-md-6"><p>The most cost effective fully electrified solution is Scenario 2, though it is still $45 million more costly over 17 years than Scenario 0, the business-as-usual case. It is worth noting that this study does not include utility rate escalations or utility incentives. Furthermore, some of the capital equipment, such as heat pumps, may decline in cost as the market matures. More cost details are available in Section 2.4.</p></div></div><div class="col-md-10 col-md-offset-1 shcItemsLine"> </div><div class="col-md-12"><h3><cite>Notes</cite></h3><ol><li><cite>EPA. “Scope 1 and Scope 2 Inventory Guidance.” </cite><a href="https://www.epa.gov/climateleadership/scope-1-and-scope-2-inventory-guidance" title="EPA | Scope 1 and Scope 2 Inventory Guidance"><cite>EPA Center for Corporate Climate Leadership</cite></a><cite>.</cite></li><li><cite>ASHRAE. </cite><a href="https://technologyportal.ashrae.org/journal/articledetail/2473" title="ASHRAE | ASHRAE Technology Portal"><cite>ASHRAE Technology Portal</cite></a><cite>.</cite></li></ol></div></div></div> Mon, 02 Dec 2024 16:16:53 -0600 Decarbonization