OhioHealth and MedSpeed Partner to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Medical courier to deploy electric vehicles to service health network

In support of OhioHealth’s pledge to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as an ongoing action to decarbonize the healthcare sector, its same-day logistics service provider, MedSpeed, is deploying electric vehicles (EVs) to service OhioHealth’s network.

“The goal of our greenhouse gas emissions pledge is to reduce our emissions by 50 percent by 2030 and achieve zero emissions by 2050,” said OhioHealth Chief Administrative Officer, Johnni Beckel. “Partnering with MedSpeed to deploy these EVs helps us move closer to attaining those goals and protects the health of those we serve.”

OhioHealth has made significant progress in reducing energy consumption in recent years. The organization has diverted waste from landfills, developed sustainable transportation goals, created standards for green buildings, and focused on responsible purchasing.

“Collaborating with organizations that align with our value of stewardship, like our efforts with MedSpeed, are a critical part in our plan of improving sustainability within the organization internally and externally” said Beckel. “Developing sustainable transportation and maximizing the efficiency of our fleet is one way OhioHealth can preserve natural resources and reduce toxic air pollution that contributes to many chronic health problems.”

“We are thrilled to collaborate with OhioHealth as part of their ongoing mission to decarbonize the healthcare sector and promote an environment conducive to community health,” said Jake Crampton, CEO of MedSpeed. “MedSpeed drives four million miles per year to serve OhioHealth’s extensive network of care. Converting a substantive portion of that network to electric vehicles is another way that our partnership can help generate positive health outcomes.”

OhioHealth’s sustainability achievements align with the “25 by 25” electric vehicle initiative announced by MedSpeed earlier this year. MedSpeed has committed to convert 25 percent of its current eligible fleet to electric vehicles by the end of 2025. MedSpeed has already added electric vehicles in its San Diego hub and will add additional electric vehicles to its fleet in several other cities around the U.S. later this year.

In addition to its “25 by 25” initiative, MedSpeed, the market-leading provider of same-day logistics services to the healthcare industry, continues to contribute to sustainability in other ways on behalf of its clients. Among those:

• Smart network design — MedSpeed’s smart network design process reduces the number of miles driven by an average of 25 percent per customer
• Reduce redundant transportation — MedSpeed reduces redundant transportation (and other shipping) by consolidating other movements into its customers’ existing routes
• Waste avoidance — MedSpeed’s customers avoid waste from product expiration by sharing items through the connected network
• Paperless to digital — MedSpeed has a digital ecosystem that reduces paper consumption through paperless invoicing as well as paperless activity logging and reporting
• Quality — MedSpeed’s leading quality rating leads to fewer unnecessary miles driven to correct errors

MedSpeed’s electric vehicles will utilize OhioHealth’s charging infrastructure at its corporate headquarters.

“Our medical courier routes transport all of the items needed for our OhioHealth clinicians to deliver care, including specimens, supplies, pharmaceuticals and much more,” said OhioHealth principal advisor of sustainability/ESG, Terri Scannell. “By deploying electric vehicles we eliminate tail pipe emissions which directly impacts human health in the communities we serve, by improving air quality.”

“Supported by partnerships with Smart Columbus and Electrification Coalition, OhioHealth and MedSpeed conducted an assessment of the routes that were eligible for electrification,” said OhioHealth Advisor of Sustainability Allegra Wiesler. “The assessment led to the decision to purchase the electric vehicles.”

Since forming the partnership between OhioHealth and MedSpeed a decade ago, the healthcare provider has grown significantly. The care delivery and transportation networks stretch as far north as Mansfield, OH, and as far south as Athens, OH. MedSpeed has 125 active Logistic Service Representatives, or LSRs (MedSpeed’s term for its drivers), dedicated to providing all of OhioHealth’s system-wide last-mile movement of physical materials, including specimens, blood, supplies, equipment, and more.

About OhioHealth

Based in Columbus, Ohio, OhioHealth is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit, charitable, healthcare outreach of the United Methodist Church. Serving its communities since 1891, OhioHealth is a family of 35,000 associates, physicians and volunteers, and a network of 14 hospitals, three joint-venture hospitals, one managed-affiliate hospital, 200+ ambulatory sites and other health services spanning a 50-county area. It has been recognized by FORTUNE as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” 15 times since 2007. For more information, visit ohiohealth.com.