Hospitalists Join in Sustainability Efforts

Ms. Wohlford is the director of sustainability for Carilion Clinic. The Roanoke, Va.-based health system has numerous awards and recognitions for its sustainability efforts that include everything from installing solar-power receptors to hiring sheep to keep the lawn. Carilion Clinic. In a world transformed by environmental degradation and the effects of climate change, hospitals can be major generators of greenhouse gases, energy consumption, and waste. But they are also important centers for health and wellness promotion, not just for the patients they serve but also for staff and their communities. That is why a growing number of hospitals and their hospitalists are seeking ways to contribute to the conversation about sustainability and environmental stewardship for their facilities and the larger world. Health involves more than health care, said Bill Flattery, CEO of Carilion New River Valley Medical Center in Christiansburg, Va. “We realize that health and well-being are affected by the environment in which we live, and we are stewards of that environment in the same way we are stewards of people’s health.”  This awareness has helped drive the 146-bed New River Valley Medical Center’s leadership in sustainability efforts. “It starts with understanding how much unbelievable waste there is in health care. If you acknowledge that fact, you can be invited into a culture that says we can do better,” Mr. Flattery said. Hospitals can consider what they could do ...
Source: The Hospitalist - Category: Hospital Management Authors: Tags: Practice Management Source Type: research