Why Sustainability?
What is "Sustainability"?
What do we mean when we say sustainability? According to the International Institute for Sustainable Development, sustainability means “meeting the needs of today without negatively impacting the needs of tomorrow and future generations.” Scientific consensus shows climate change is already damaging human health and health care delivery and will have a greater impact in the future. Health care is at the front line of climate change, bearing the costs of increased diseases and more frequent extreme weather events. Hospitals and health systems are addressing health threats posed by climate change by examining ways to deliver more "climate-smart healthcare"; topics include energy efficiency, waste reduction, greening the operating room, environmentally preferable purchasing, water stewardship and employee engagement.
The overarching goal of the Sustainability department's work is to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to a changing climate. Health care's contributions to climate change contributes to many of the diseases we care for, which stands in contrast to a hospital's healing mission and commitment to "do no harm." The US health care sector's greenhouse gas emissions make up 8.5% of the US total, and American health care facilities emit more greenhouse gases than the entire United Kingdom. In 2021, Carilion's Sustainability department completed the organization's first greenhouse gas inventory. A greenhouse gas inventory provides a comprehensive accounting for all greenhouse gas emissions that an organization emits. Here are the results:
Carilion Clinic's Sustainability Executive Commitment Statement
Carilion Clinic recognizes that the health of our environment directly impacts the health of the people in our communities. Our leadership team is committed to creating a comprehensive environmental sustainability program which will preserve the health of our communities and safeguard the vitality of current and future generations.
As part of this commitment, we develop and implement within our organization an environmental program with sustainable, measurable outcomes. This program integrates environmental sustainability into our core business strategies.
We focus on reducing the negative environmental impacts of our operations by addressing the behaviors and processes that cause them, and by tracking and sharing the results of our sustainability efforts with the community and with peers.
As stewards of our patient and community resources, we focus on initiatives that reduce cost, inefficiencies, and waste in the delivery of healthcare. A priority within this focus is maintaining a thoughtful balance of the environmental, financial, and clinical impact of our actions and decisions.
Sustainability & Health
Climate change leads to a variety of impacts, experienced around the world. The chart below, from the CDC, illustrates how climate change impacts human health.
Impacts in Virginia
Here in Virginia, especially in the Southwest corner, we are most likely to experience the impact of rising temperatures and extreme heat. Heat waves are a leading cause of weather-related deaths and present health risks such as heat stroke and dehydration. In June 2024, Carilion hosted the Climate, Heat and Health Summit, where experts discussed the relationship between heat and health, the impact on at-risk and vulnerable populations, and what the healthcare community can do to mitigate these impacts. The presentations from this conference are available below.
Community Engagement and Neighborhood Planning for Rising Temperatures
Theo Lim, Ph.D.
Virginia Tech
https://vimeo.com/996259762?share=copy
The Geography of Heat Inequity
Jeremy Hoffman, Ph.D.
Groundwork USA
https://vimeo.com/996239978?share=copy
Heat Considerations for Mental Health Population
Robert Trestman, Ph.D., MD
Carilion Clinic
https://vimeo.com/996245418?share=copy
Heat Considerations for Elderly Population
Ian Reynolds, MD
Carilion Clinic
https://vimeo.com/996245950?share=copy
Heat Considerations for Pediatric Population
Camron Johnson-Privitera, DO
Carilion Clinic
https://vimeo.com/996272231?share=copy
Heat Considerations for Obstetric Population
Jaclyn Nunziato, MD
Carilion Clinic
https://vimeo.com/996247523?share=copy
Heat Related Illness in Virginia: Tales from the ED
Stephanie Lareau, MD
Carilion Clinic
https://vimeo.com/996252931?share=copy
Impact of Heat on Violence
Valerie Koeppel, M.Ed.
Carilion Clinic
Hooves, Heat and Humans: Exploring the Intersect of Food Animal Production and Community Health in the Face of Climate Change
Sierra Guynn, Ph.D., DVM, DACVPM
Virginia Maryland College Veterinary Medicine
