STANFORD HEALTH CARE
Overview
We partnered with Stanford Health Care to support its ambitious sustainability goals by working closely with its Infrastructure and Facilities teams, as well as the Sustainability Program Office (SPO). Through a comprehensive strategy, we provided the expertise and tools needed to drive meaningful change across the hospital. From securing executive buy-in to creating impactful internal communications, we played a pivotal role in helping Stanford Health Care reduce its environmental footprint, improve operational efficiency, and achieve significant cost savings.This collaborative effort not only advanced the hospital’s sustainability mission but also demonstrated how environmental stewardship can align with financial performance, dramatically reducing waste, CO2 emissions, and operational costs.
Challenge
Securing Resources: Gaining buy-in from the board to allocate sufficient budgets for expanding sustainable services and programs.
Behavioral Change: Educating staff, patients, and visitors on the importance of using sustainable transportation options and reducing single-occupancy vehicle use.
Operational Efficiency: Encouraging medical staff to adopt waste-reduction practices while maintaining high-quality patient experiences and lowering CO2 emissions.
Goal
The primary goals of this initiative were to:
- Reduce CO2 emissions and waste across hospital operations.
- Achieve substantial cost savings through waste reduction and energy efficiency.
- Enhance patient experiences by integrating sustainability into care practices.
- Foster a culture of sustainability among staff, patients, and visitors to ensure long-term adoption of environmentally friendly practices.
Approach
Our team implemented a multi-pronged approach to address these challenges and achieve the hospital’s goals:
Board Engagement: We developed persuasive presentations that secured increased annual budgets for sustainability efforts by demonstrating both environmental impact and financial benefits.
Internal Communications Campaigns: Designed campaigns that highlighted the achievements of grant recipients and medical staff who championed innovative waste-reduction initiatives, inspiring others to follow suit.
Staff Education: Created targeted programs to educate employees about sustainable transportation options and waste-reduction practices, fostering widespread behavioral change.
Team Events: Organized team-building activities to rally support for new initiatives, building momentum across departments.
Gamification: Developed interactive games for employee events and trade shows to engage participants in sustainability efforts in an enjoyable way.
Cross-department Collaboration: Facilitated collaboration between infrastructure teams, medical staff, and the SPO to align objectives and streamline implementation of sustainable practices.
Results
Cost Savings: The hospital achieved significant reductions in operational costs by cutting waste, lowering energy consumption, and optimizing resource use—demonstrating that sustainability efforts can directly benefit financial performance.
Environmental Impact: CO2 emissions were significantly reduced as a result of sustainable transportation initiatives and waste-reduction programs, aligning with the hospital’s long-term climate goals.
Increased Engagement: Staff participation in sustainability programs grew substantially due to targeted education efforts and engaging activities like gamification at events.
Enhanced Reputation: The hospital gained recognition as a leader in healthcare sustainability, earning industry certifications such as the Joint Commission’s Sustainable Healthcare certification and multiple Practice Greenhealth awards.
Employee Pride: Staff morale improved as employees took pride in working for an institution that prioritized both environmental responsibility and patient care excellence.
Patient Experience: Sustainable practices contributed to improved patient experiences by creating a healthier environment within the hospital.
Through our partnership with Stanford Health Care, we demonstrated how strategic sustainability initiatives can deliver measurable environmental benefits while driving down costs—proving that what’s good for the planet can also be good for business.
HEALTH CARE SUSTAINABILITY CHAMPIONS CAMPAIGN:
Link to Champions Website
INTERACTIVE SUSTAINABLE JEOPARDY GAME OPEN
INTERACTIVE SUSTAINABLE JEOPARDY GAME PLAYED AT HOSPITAL
INTERACTIVE SUSTAINABLE JEOPARDY GAME PLAYED AT EARTH DAY EVENT