In 1999, Boulder (Colo.) Community Hospital became one of the first hospitals in the country to hire a sustainability coordinator.
Adding a new position for environmental and public health initiatives wasn't that surprising for BCH, which has been a vanguard in healthcare sustainability. The hospital has consistently won awards from local and state programs from its environmental leadership. In 2003, it opened Boulder Community Foothills Hospital — the first hospital in the United States to earn LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
Kai Abelkis says he accepted the job more than a decade ago because he saw an opportunity to guide the organization toward more responsible goals. Sustainable measures were the vehicle in which BCH could become more efficient and accountable.
"Many hospitals and entities are hiring their own sustainability coordinators because they want to incorporate sustainability practices into their operations," Mr. Abelkis says. "BCH's sustainability journey is guided by our environmental statement, supported by our employees and administration, and aligned with our community's ongoing environmental commitment. To me, our focus is recognizing that our negative environmental impact has an impact on human health."
Sustainability is a culture and partnership
BCH has 2,400 employees across its organization. Each of those employees is BCH's best sustainability ambassador, and they are all on the hospital's green team, Mr. Abelkis says.
"Everyone is constantly participating in this program," Mr. Abelkis says. "And not because we have this policy that says they have to — we've made this a culture, and honestly [employees] want to do it."
The grassroots groundswell has allowed BCH to maintain its green reputation, a reputation that blossomed in the mid-1990s after the board of directors adopted a "statement of principles." Within those principles, the hospital's leaders pledged to find ways to utilize renewable energy, eliminate toxic or dangerous substances, build a renowned recycling program and encourage alternative transportation.
Mr. Abelkis says the results of employee engagement can be seen. BCH is approaching a 50 percent waste reduction mark on its way to eventually becoming a "zero waste" organization. "We are [also] currently producing 12 percent of onsite energy with solar and are looking to expand our use of clean energy by 40 percent," he says.
He has also helped the hospital partner with organizations, like Practice Greenhealth and Project Cure, to meet the organization's goals. Mr. Abelkis got in touch with Project Cure roughly five years ago after re-evaluating BCH's cath lab practices.
Hospitals often have to discard medical supplies and equipment due to expiration dates, Joint Commission guidelines or upgrades. When BCH was set to scrap its old cath lab, Mr. Abelkis said Project Cure was able to help. BCH partnered with Project Cure to ship the cath lab to a hospital in Ethiopia, which was in dire need of the services. Today, BCH donates several tons of medical equipment and supplies every year to Project Cure, which supports programs in medically underserved areas around the world.
"What they are doing is literally creating miracles out of nothing," Mr. Abelkis says of Project Cure. "This material that would have been discarded is now being directed to hospitals and clinics in the developing world. It's a truly win-win-win situation."
"Donating medical equipment and supplies is part of BCH's 501(c)(3) yearly community benefits report," he says of the program and healthcare sustainability in general. "There's no reason why a hospital shouldn't be doing this, absolutely none. That's what sustainability is all about. This is about sustaining human life in such a direct way. Most healthcare folks get this."
A business positive
From a mission statement and values perspective, hospitals easily latch onto the sustainability story. When a mission statement translates into saved dollars, especially in an era when hospitals are dealing with drastically reduced reimbursements, that's when executives and all community members climb aboard, Mr. Abelkis says.
According to BCH's most recent figures, sustainability efforts are leading to $750,000 in cost savings per year.
Overall, Mr. Abelkis says sustainability at a hospital or health system is not a multi-project destination. It's a "journey" that requires the right perspective, a sustainability coordinator and culture to realize all the benefits.
"[Sustainability] is already here, and most hospitals already understand that," Mr. Abelkis says. "It's a kinder way of running your organization. You benefit, your community benefits — and it's about time."
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