Sharing strategies to minimize the environmental impact of the supply chain
Nearly 50 suppliers and their representatives convened in Nashville, Tennessee, in October to showcase their contracted healthcare construction and facilities management products and services to HealthTrust members, their trade partners and others as part of the 2023 HealthTrust Connect event. Hosted by the organization’s Commercial Products team, the event featured networking and knowledge-sharing through interactive breakouts and a supplier exhibition hub with a focus on sustainable products and implementation solutions.
Sustainability expert Libbi Lee, a partner with McKinsey & Co., delivered the keynote address, sharing that society is at an inflection point in its transition to net zero carbon emission goals. She suggested healthcare organizations and their supplier partners could forge parallel and related paths toward net zero emissions.
Lee also moderated a live Q&A panel about future demands for new products and technology and how healthcare providers and suppliers can reduce their climate footprint. Joining her for the discussion were Shay Rankhorn, Partner, FD Energy Solutions; Damian Skelton, VP of Facilities and Construction, Hospital Sisters Health System; and Andy Woommavovah, National Director for Facilities and Construction Services, Trinity Health.
Bridging health & environment
More than 70% of a health system’s greenhouse gas emissions are embedded in products and services they buy, according to Practice Greenhealth. Hospitals can serve as responsible stewards by considering the total cost of ownership of products, cutting down on their own impact and encouraging suppliers to do the same through sustainable procurement.
Now more than ever before, consumers prefer products and suppliers committed to reducing their environmental impact. “We have demonstrated commitment to sustain-ability that enables our member health systems to create healthier environments within their buildings. This has increasingly been what a number of them have asked for when deciding which suppliers to purchase products from in this space,” says Paige Dodson, Senior Director of Facility Infrastructure Solutions and the event leader for HealthTrust Connect.
“Health systems are evaluating products and their manufacturers much more holistically, and the conversation has expanded far beyond price. Members want to know what suppliers are doing to bridge the gap between human health and environmental responsibility. They are asking for more transparency around responsibly sourcing materials and manufacturing processes that reduce waste, minimize energy consumption and maximize opportunities for reuse and/or recycling at the end of a product’s lifecycle,” explains Dodson.
Sustainable products & services
“HealthTrust Connect was a forum for members and colleagues to have one-on-one conversations with a number of our contracted suppliers,” says Nikko Giovino, AVP, Strategic Sourcing Commercial Products & Energy. “Providers find that many of the contract categories within the Facility Infrastructure Solutions (FIS) portfolio are useful outside of new construction projects and routine operations. The portfolio is vast and includes contracts for everything from sustainable furniture, energy-efficient heating and cooling equipment, LED lighting and low VOC paint to energy-as-a-service (EaaS) solutions, to water treatment (see page 16), building assessments and the procurement of deregulated natural gas, electricity and facility services.”
In addition to the sourcing of energy in deregulated markets, the HealthTrust Energy Team offers a utility bill pay service, which ensures on-time payments and provides valuable utility reporting. The Energy Team also works individually with members to discuss energy efficiency initiatives, sustainability and renewables that can further reduce members’ energy costs and/or utilization. HealthTrust has a national agreement with Bernard ProStar (BPS) to provide EaaS solutions for member facilities. BPS partners with the HealthTrust Energy Team to address both the supply and demand aspects of utilities. While BPS focuses on demand, the HealthTrust Energy Team looks at the supply side and how a facility purchases its utilities, hedges risk and manages the utilities.
Read more about reducing healthcare’s impact on climate change in exclusive online content.
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