SUNY Upstate Medical University: Sustainable Medical Care

This video is an entry in a contest we've launched with Second Nature's Climate Leadership Awards. See below for how you can vote for it. See more entries in this contest As an academic medical...
Upstate Medical University set out to cut 75% of their campus' footprint. They were able to save $1 million over 20 months by re-processing polypropylene "blue wrap" to cut its use by 23%.
Related Topics:
Business & Economics, Climate, Colleges & Education, Public Health

This video is an entry in a contest we’ve launched with Second Nature’s Climate Leadership Awards. See below for how you can vote for it.
See more entries in this contest

As an academic medical center, Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY faces unique sustainability challenges. A major portion of our mission is in direct patient care. Our hospitals and clinics account for 75 percent of the campus’ carbon footprint, and our Operating Rooms generate almost half of the institution’s solid waste.

Upstate has responded to the challenge and gone beyond the hype by implementing a variety of innovative sustainability initiatives while maintaining the highest levels of patient care, without compromising our academic and research missions.

Our Central Sterile Process and Medical Device Re-Processing initiatives have reduced the use of costly polypropylene “blue wrap” by 23 percent and saved the University over $1 million during the last 20 months.

These initiatives are part of Upstate’s Climate Action Plan, which outlines our holistic and aggressive campus-wide efforts to become carbon neutral by 2050.

To learn more visit: http://www.green.upstate.edu


Vote now to help this idea win!

How do you move the planet forward?
Submit Story
Tags:
Academic Medical Center, health, healthcare, Hospital, SUNY Upstate Medical University, sustainability, Upstate Medical University

Get the Newsletter

Get inspiring stories to move the planet forward in your inbox!

Success! You have been added to the Planet FWD newsletter. Inspiring stories will be coming to your inbox soon.