Hospital CEO: It's time to embrace environmental healthcare

by J. Knox Singleton After receiving my master's degree in health administration from Duke University in 1973, I wanted a career where I could meld my business skills with my drive to help others. It seemed to me that hospital administration might be a career that would allow me to combine my skills and passion into a rewarding career. Little did I know where this path would lead me. Recently, I co-authored a book, "Sustainability for Healthcare Management: A Leadership Imperative," that challenges healthcare leaders to think through the implications of our decisions from fiscal, societal and environmental perspectives. It links health values with sustainability drivers to enlighten leadership about the value of sustainability as we move toward a new paradigm of health. While sustainability is not unique to health, it is a unique vehicle for promoting healthy values. Enter the Healthier Hospitals Initiative, a campaign in the United States and Canada designed to improve health of patients, staff and the community; reduce environmental impact by the sector; and experience considerable fiscal savings that reduce the overall national healthcare costs through better public health. The foundation of HHI consists of 13 sponsoring health systems representing more than 500 hospitals with more than $20 billion in purchasing power, and three nonprofit organizations--Health Care Without Harm, The Center for Health Design and Practice Greenhealth. HHI encourages environmentally...
Source: hospital impact - Category: Health Managers Authors: Source Type: blogs