For a succinct introduction to the environmental harms of health care delivery, and how hospitals and medical practices are taking steps toward climate-smart health care, see Green Your Practice While Cutting Costs: Why and How to Get Started by Amy Collins, MD, founder of Health Care Without Harm’s Physician Network (Vital Signs, Summer 2018).
Health Care Without Harm: The leading campaign for environmentally responsible health care and advocacy. Resources include:
Health Care Without Harm Physician Network: The primary forum for physicians who are interested in promoting climate-smart health care and reducing the environmental impact of health care delivery.
Practice Greenhealth: The leading membership association for hospitals and businesses engaged in sustainable health care. Many hospital physicians have access to member benefits; request an account. Resources include:
- Initiatives on Greening the OR and Greening the Supply Chain, and topics including environmentally-preferable purchasing, waste, leaner energy, and more
- Engaged Leadership initiative
- “Advancing Sustainability in Health Care: A Collection of Special Case Studies” addressing the ROI of hiring a sustainability coordinator, locally-sourced meals, energy efficiency, utility efficiency, reducing medical waste, minimizing harmful chemicals in cleaning products and certain medical devices, and more
American Society of Anesthesiologists: Resources address Greening the OR, including reducing the carbon footprint of inhaled anesthetics.
CleanMed: A national, annual environmental conference on health care sustainability, presented by Practice Greenhealth and Health Care Without Harm.
Climate Change Toolkit: A resource from the American College of Physicians. Includes regional talking points and education tools aimed at health care professionals and patients.
My Green Doctor: An initiative of the Florida Medical Association primarily for outpatient medical offices. Resources include a meeting-by-meeting guide for managing your green team and workbooks offering 140 action and education steps.
Physicians for a Sustainable Future: A Facebook group managed by Amy Collins, MD
