According to a recent study from the Commonwealth Fund, sustainability initiatives could save the healthcare industry up to $5.4 billion over five years, and $15 billion over 10 years. Those are some really big numbers.
The study was sponsored by the Healthier Hospitals Initiative (HHI), which is based on a set of six challenges for hospitals nationwide. The goal of the HHI is to improve the healthcare sector’s environmental footprint through engaged leadership, healthier foods, leaner energy, less waste, safer chemicals and smarter purchasing.
The HHI encourages healthcare organizations across the country to shift to a more sustainable business model. “By creating a collaborative setting which engages all stakeholder groups and gives each individual player the tools they need to succeed, HHI has created a platform to help healthcare organizations affect widespread, meaningful change.”
I find this goal very admirable and suspect that healthcare leaders themselves will be very encouraged. The study authors said “the implication for hospital CEOs and CFOs is clear. Given the return on investment, all hospitals should adopt sustainability programs.”
MedSpeed helps our customers to be more sustainable in a number of ways. We use smart analysis to optimize all of our routes and cover the most ground with as few vehicles as possible. In fact, we reduce miles driven for our clients by an average of 25 percent. Additionally, by connecting facilities within an IDN for example, our routes eliminate the need to use external freight methods, reducing both gas and emissions. Our fleet is comprised of the most fuel efficient vehicles available in each class and we always employ the smallest vehicle possible on every route. We utilize reusable containers and our proprietary technology platform is fully electronic, greatly reducing paper consumption.
This year, MedSpeed is going to continue our sustainability efforts and look for even more ways to engage in the effort. We know that by being “more green” we can support our customers’ sustainability initiatives and also help fulfill the mission of the Affordable Care Act. A win for all involved – customer, MedSpeed, planet.