U.S. healthcare systems need to become more climate-conscious by acknowledging current environmental risks and becoming more eco-friendly, according to a recent column from The Commonwealth Fund's President David Blumenthal, MD, and Shanoor Seervai, a senior research and communications associate.
The U.S. healthcare industry is the world's seventh largest producer of carbon dioxide emissions, and therefore a significant contributor to air pollution, which exacerbates many health conditions. The industry was responsible for emitting 655 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2011, which was 10 percent of the nation's overall emissions that year, according to the report.
Some health systems, such as Kaiser Permanente, have already begun the work to reduce carbon emissions. The Oakland, Calif.-based health system has made major investments in solar power and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 29 percent while continuing to grow its patient population, according to the report.
The Commonwealth Fund also makes the case that health systems need to be more aware of their own preparedness for climate change and related extreme weather events, natural disasters or environmental changes such as hurricanes or rising sea levels. This means disaster-proofing facilities so healthcare providers are better able to serve patients when they need care most. Some systems have begun this work. The Commonwealth Fund names Boston-based Partners HealthCare, which has started bolstering its Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital on Boston's coastline against rising sea levels, according to the report.
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