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US Healthcare Leaves a Big Carbon Footprint

News  |  By John Commins  
   April 20, 2018

Carbon dioxide emissions generated by the healthcare system could play a role in approximately 20,000 premature deaths each year that are linked to air pollution.

The nation's $3.3 trillion healthcare system spews about 10% of the carbon dioxide generated in the United States each year, a new study from The Commonwealth Fund.

If the U.S. healthcare system was a separate country, it would have the world's fifth-largest economy, but also the world’s seventh-largest producer of carbon dioxide.

According to The Commonwealth Fund:

  • The U.S. healthcare system emitted 655 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2011, which accounted for around 10% of the CO2 generated in the United States that year.
     
  • If CO2 emissions are a barometer of all air pollution, then pollutants associated with the health care sector could be implicated in 10% (20,000) of the nearly 200,000 premature deaths attributable to air pollution annually in the United States.

By reducing carbon emissions and building infrastructure more resilient to natural disasters, The Commonwealth Fund says healthcare organizations can reduce their carbon footprint and improve health. Some providers are already taking action.

For example:

  • Kaiser Permanente has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 29% while increasing membership by 20%. Kaiser projected its annual greenhouse gas emissions would decrease from 806,000 metric tons to 617,000 metric tons by 2017 as a result of clean-energy practices.
  • After a devastating storm in 2001 halted almost all operations at the Texas Medical Center, the organization rebuilt with a “hazard mitigation plan.” The center built its own new heat and power utility plant at an elevation to avoid flooding. The plant emits less carbon, and is managed by an independent power company, eliminating dependence on the Houston utility grid. When Hurricane Harvey hit, the medical center remained almost fully operational.
     
  • New York City’s Bellevue Hospital, which serves more than 500,000 patients annually, was forced to close temporarily and move patients when Hurricane Sandy struck in 2012. When it rebuilt, many of the replacements for flooded electrical and mechanical systems were positioned on higher floors, and the hospital’s emergency power system added a generator to reduce dependence on the city’s grid.
     
  • Partners HealthCare is developing a climate adaptation plan in partnership with the city of Boston. Partners recognized the vulnerability to climate change of its Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital on Boston’s waterfront, and adopted a set of best practices to make the building more resilient to rising sea levels.

The Commonwealth Fund says health systems are beginning to see the value in reducing carbon emissions, and not just for the environment.

"This might not only reduce the cost of care — one of the biggest woes ailing the U.S. health system — but also help fulfill the obligations that come with the industry’s size, its huge carbon footprint, and its mission to improve health," the report said.

"Effective strategies for addressing climate change should become an essential attribute of high-performing health systems in the future."

John Commins is a content specialist and online news editor for HealthLeaders, a Simplify Compliance brand.


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