Healthcare Finance News
November 06, 2012
Kelsey Brimmer, Associate Editor
NEW YORK – A study published last week by The Commonwealth Fund found that hospital sustainability efforts could save the healthcare industry up to $5.4 billion over five years and $15 billion over 10 years.
The study, which was sponsored by the Healthier Hospitals Initiative (HHI) and Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) through grants from The Commonwealth Fund and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, tracked nine U.S. hospitals or health systems that adopted sustainability initiatives into their waste management, energy use and operating room supply procurement practices. Each hospital realized significant savings, even those that made initial investments to adopt the sustainability program, according to the study.
“This study turns on its head the belief that introducing environmental sustainability measures increases operating costs,” said Blair L. Sadler, an author of the study and a senior fellow at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, in a press release…