Healthcare plays a vital role in human well-being, yet its impact on carbon emissions is significant and frequently underestimated. Recognizing this challenge, The Joint Commission has launched the Sustainable Healthcare Certification program for U.S. hospitals and critical access hospitals. This program provides a structured framework to guide leadership and governance in setting priorities and developing skills to minimize waste and carbon footprint.

Seattle Children's is a trailblazer in adopting innovative strategies to reduce anesthesia-related emissions. Leveraging electronic health record (EHR) data in AdaptX, the hospital dramatically reduced anesthesia-related emissions by 87%, equivalent to 500,000 kg of carbon dioxide annually. These improvements yielded substantial cost savings, exceeding $175,000 per year, without compromising patient outcomes. Following Seattle Children’s success, a multi-institutional quality improvement consortium, Project Spruce, was launched, targeting a 50% reduction in anesthesia-related greenhouse gas emissions across 12 participating hospitals.

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