Is Decarbonization in Health Care Possible?
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Description
The climate is changing. ASHRAE tells us that the US is warming at least a degree a decade. We are experiencing more frequent and more intense severe weather events. We are experiencing movement of disease vectors and changing health threats. In the face of these changes, the healthcare system must adapt and must plan for resilience. This is not a political issue; rather, it’s physics, and it’s an issue with lasting devasting effects (exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius) if ignored or treated with a lack of urgency. We know that the healthcare sector represents roughly 20% of the US economy; 10% of US greenhouse gas emissions; 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. How can/is healthcare legitimately removing carbon from the delivery of care (i.e. carbon-free care)? Is it fully possible? Join this unique webinar, designed as a panel forum, to hear the owner-side of the equation and engineering/consulting side. Helen Wilmot, Chief Facilities & Sustainability Officer Stanford Health Care and Walt Vernon, CEO of Mazzetti & National Academy of Medicine Action Collaborative Steering Committee member, will provide candid, and perhaps unexpected perspectives on the most relevant topic impacting human health — decarbonization. Stanford Health Care (SHC), in many ways, is the leading the decarbonization charge in the industry. Discover how SHC is addressing the obvious barriers of “dependence on fossil fuels” to perform essential tasks — heating, humidifying, sterilization — as well as the somewhat less obvious barriers re fleet and medical gasses. Discover how the National Academy of Medicine’s Action Collaborative to decarbonize the U.S. Healthcare is addressing operational pathways, including healthcare delivery (e.g. “hospital at home”), supply chain, financing, regulation, and even relevant education and communication for various stakeholders.
Course expires 09/13/2025
Learning Objectives
Understand the components of operational greenhouse gas emissions in healthcare.
Recognize and assess the complexities and opportunities of carbon-free care from an owner’s perspective and that of the National Academy of Medicine’s Action Collaborative.
Evaluate evolving healthcare delivery models designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Understand the national discussion on operational greenhouse gas emissions.
This session was recorded live on October 18, 2022.
John Kreidich, now retired, from 2000-2018, the go-to resource for hospital‐related safety, infection control, sustainable building, and medical equipment procurement matters at McCarthy’s Central Division, was Vice President, System, Facilities Planning and Construction for Penn State Geisinger 1997 ‐ 2000, following four years as Assistant Vice President, Facilities Management at Penn State’s Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
Christina Vernon Sanborn is a registered architect with more than 20 years’ experience, focused on sustainability in healthcare and higher education, ESG reporting, institutional facility management, planning, construction and operations. She has a passion for positive leadership, values curiosity, and a has embraced a personal commitment to supporting equity and inclusion in communities and the workplace. She is a graduate of CBI's Leadership Development Institute, a year-long exploration of equity and inclusion. Christina is a Senior Decarbonization Specialist and Associate Principal at Mazzetti, where she coaches her healthcare and higher education clients on their carbon journeys. Prior to joining Mazzetti, she served as Executive Director of Facilities and advisor on sustainability and operations at Williams College, a premier liberal arts college in western Massachusetts. Prior to joining Williams College in 2019, served as AVP Facilities Management at Northwestern University, where she participated in all facets of facility management leadership. She also previously served as AVP for a Healthy Environment at Carolinas HealthCare System in Charlotte, NC, and Executive Sustainability Officer for Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, Ohio. Christina received her Bachelors degree in Environmental Design cum laude from Miami University and a Master of Architecture degree from Columbia University. Additionally, she holds a certificate in the Appreciative Inquiry change leadership model and is a certified Allovance Decision Coach.
Walt is the CEO of Mazzetti, an employee-owned Benefit Corporation focused on Bending the Climate Curve. Mazzetti is a consulting firm, helping healthcare clients and organizations to plan, design, construct, operate, and improve future-focused facilities. leading global provider of MEP engineering design and technology consulting, primarily focused in Healthcare. Mazzetti creates future-focused, technologically advanced buildings, rooted in local culture, climate, and economy.
Walt has been partnering, consulting, and advising Healthcare clients for more than 30 years, with a keen focus on future-planning. Walt serves and leads various U.S. and international code committees. Walt regularly presents and publishes on various topics addressing Healthcare greatest challenges in the built environment.
Today, he is a Steering committee member of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) Action Collaborative to Decarbonize the U.S. Healthcare Sector. He serves on the Steering Committee of the Geneva Center for Healthcare Sustainability, is the President Elect of the International Federation of Healthcare Engineering, and is consulting to the WHO to craft guidelines for climate-focused healthcare facilities.
Helen Wilmot holds the title of Chief Facilities Officer – General Services and Space Planning at Stanford Healthcare. Ms. Wilmot’s career has touched all aspects of health care delivery, from direct patient care, to clinical information systems, to senior management of inpatient and outpatient facilities, to consulting in operations re-engineering. Ms. Wilmot is the operational lead for the build of the New Hospital at Stanford--a $2B investment to expand Stanford’s medical campus. The New Hospital, along with a complete refurbishment of the existing hospital campus, will incorporate principles of lean management and patient centric care. Ms. Wilmot also leads the development of a comprehensive Space Master Plan. In her General Services role she is responsible for the care of more than 1,000,000 square feet of hospital, clinic and administrative space and the feeding of more than 3,500 employees, visitors and patients. She oversees all departments reporting through the Facilities Services and Planning Division, including Facilities, Facilities Infrastructure & Safety, Facility Field Services, Security, Hospitality, Business Operation & Strategic Initiative, Exterior Management, Transportation Services, Site Support Services, Hospital & Clinic Activations, Space Management, 300P Renewal and Sustainability.