--- title: "Power of A: Healthy Hospitals" id: "25498" type: "post" slug: "power-of-a-healthy-hospitals" published_at: "2014-10-08T10:00:32+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-16T12:51:46+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2014/10/08/power-of-a-healthy-hospitals/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2014/10/08/power-of-a-healthy-hospitals.md" excerpt: "A campaign to make green hospitals and safer takes hold." taxonomy_category: - "Operations" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Environment and Sustainability" - "hospital operations" - "Leadership" - "mental health" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Director" - "Executive Team" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Executive Leadership" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Power of A: Healthy Hospitals > We know too much about the connection between human health and the health of the environment in our hospitals to not get serious about this. ## A campaign to make hospitals greener and safer takes hold. Going green can bring big cost savings and community goodwill to organizations. But in the healthcare industry, adopting more sustainable practices can affect far more than the bottom line and public perceptions—it could mean lives saved. A 2011 [World Health Organization (opens in a new tab)](http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs281/en/) fact sheet reported that, in 2000, improper disposal of medical waste resulted in the use of contaminated syringes that caused 21 million new hepatitis B virus infections, 2 million new hepatitis C infections, and at least 260,000 new HIV infections. To improve those numbers and get hospitals thinking about environmental health and sustainability, the nonprofit Practice Greenhealth teamed up with 12 of the largest health systems in the U.S. to launch the [Healthier Hospitals Initiative (opens in a new tab)](http://healthierhospitals.org/) (HHI) in 2012. The initiative, winner of a Gold Award in ASAE’s 2013 Power of A competition, tracks data across six areas of operation—engaged leadership, food, energy, waste, chemicals used, and purchases made—to see where there’s room for improvement. Janet Howard, director of facility engagement at Practice Greenhealth and the director of content and outreach for HHI, implemented a similar strategy when she convinced a hospital in New York City to hire her to focus specifically on improving green practices. In her first year on the job tracking data on how the hospital was doing business, she helped her employer save more than $600,000. “That caught some people’s attention. I got my foot in the door through cost savings, and it’s a theme that continues today,” Howard says. “The notion of using data to drive change is what prompted the development of the Healthier Hospitals Initiative, and it’s led to real results. By getting hospitals to sign on and track data and share data and be transparent about that data, they’ve had huge success around reducing infection rates and reducing costs.” Participants get access to how-to guides, webinars, and content experts to help them shore up their operations. They then set goals for improving sustainability efforts and track their progress along the way. “There’s no chance for failure because the targets [are] highly achievable, and we help them every step of the way toward those goals,” says Howard. “We really made it a turnkey approach for any hospital to have success.” HHI was launched as a three-year effort, but Howard believes the program will have lasting effects. “We know too much about the impact and the connection between human health and the health of the environment in our hospitals to not get serious about this,” she says. “As providers of care and with a mission to do no harm, hospitals need to take that leadership role within their communities to demonstrate that a commitment to the environment is important to them.”—Rob Stott (weerapatkiatdumrong/ThinkStock) [Rob Stott](https://associationsnow.com/author/rob-stott/) Rob Stott is a contributing editor to Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/rob-stott/) Tags: [#Environment and Sustainability](https://associationsnow.com/tag/environment-and-sustainability/) [#hospital operations](https://associationsnow.com/tag/hospital-operations/) [#Leadership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/leadership/) [#mental health](https://associationsnow.com/tag/mental-health/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoInvesting in Well-being: The Strategic Advantage of Mental Health Support in the WorkplaceJune 23, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/06/23/investing-in-well-being-the-strategic-advantage-of-mental-health-support-in-the-workplace/) - [VideoRisky Business: What Types of Insurance Do Associations Really Need?June 17, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/06/17/risky-business-what-types-of-insurance-do-associations-really-need/) - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Tech Stack: How AI Is Changing the Association PlaybookOctober 29, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/29/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-tech-stack-how-ai-is-changing-the-association-playbook/) - [PodcastSustainable Events: How Associations and DMOs Are Leading the ChargeMarch 31, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/03/31/sustainable-events-how-associations-and-dmos-are-leading-the-charge/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2014%2F10%2F08%2Fpower-of-a-healthy-hospitals%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !