Is Sustainability Possible in a Healthcare Setting?
Is sustainability in a setting like the healthcare industry possible? Do our healthcare institutions need to worry about the environment while they are saving lives and curing the sick? In the healthcare setting, sustainability is particularly important because it involves not only the environmental impact of healthcare practices but also the economic and social dimensions of healthcare.
Economic sustainability of the healthcare institution.
Is the healthcare industry economically sustainable? The recent events of the Covid 19 pandemic showed us that it might not be. Hospitals, whether small or large, were hit badly, and some even had to close down their doors.
Healthcare costs are a major burden on the economy, and finding ways to deliver care efficiently and cost-effectively is crucial. Here are some initiatives that have been tried and can help other healthcare institutions as well:
✔️ Streamline processes. There are a lot of processes in healthcare, and there will always be ways to reduce these processes. Find a step or two that can either be combined or eliminated in any healthcare process. This will save money and time.
✔️ Forget paper. Make everything digitally available for legit healthcare institutions. This allows any hospital or clinic to help patients directly when they have access to information ready.
✔️ Care based on value. Provide the right care at the right time. By improving focus, you improve results and reduce costs.
Environmental sustainability of the healthcare institution.
Healthcare institutions have a huge impact on the environment. Think of energy use, water consumption, and waste generation. Healthcare institutions should look into green buildings, solar lighting and hybrid lighting, water-saving initiatives, using sustainable non-medical equipment, and enhanced waste disposal.
Social sustainability of the healthcare institution.
Issues such as equity, access to care, and the social determinants of health need to be improved to make healthcare socially sustainable. Healthcare institutions should continue programs that involve the community, like outreach programs for those that have limited access to care, telemedicine initiatives for really far places, and others.
No matter what steps to sustainability a healthcare institution wishes to take, it matters not when the inner core of the institute is in turmoil. How can you extend help to others when you have issues within the hospital walls? It’s self-care on a bigger scale. To handle the inner problems of a healthcare institution, DCC has created the Healthcare Now program to help strengthen your workplace from within. It’s an opportunity to maximize your team, allowing you to aim for sustainability in the future. Let’s discuss this in more detail. Please email us at info@davidcouperconsulting.com.