Green Hospitals and Healthcare

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Green Hospitals and Healthcare
Length: 1.5 hours
Target Audience: Senior Executives (CEOs, COOs, Senior VPs) and Midlevel
Healthcare Executives who are involved with managing
facilities, Facilities Managers, Environmental Managers and
other Operations Specialists
Description: Today, most industries in the United States are finding new
ways of becoming more environmentally sustainable to cut
costs and/or fulfill their corporate citizenship missions.
Although hospitals and other healthcare organizations are
conscious of these efforts, they face the unique challenges of
round-the-clock operations, hazardous waste management,
large-scale staffing, and extreme energy consumption.
Healthcare leaders are aware of the role their organizations
play in the community, but sometimes are unsure how they
can make the business case for going green to their board or
staff. By learning from peers, this session will address the
myriad ways to change the culture of the organization; cut
operating costs and improve staff recruitment, retention, and
patient satisfaction; and gain visibility and credibility within the
community as an exemplar for environmental sustainability.
Faculty: Each session should feature a moderator plus two to three
panelists.
Moderator: The moderator should be someone with extensive
operational experience (e.g., COO) and works with environmental
sustainability programs.

Panelists:

  • Alan Eber, CEO, Eneration (moderator)
  • Missy Nergard, PhD, Chief Sustainability Officer, University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • Stacy Garrett-Ray, MPH, MBA, Senior VP/Chief Community Impact Officer, Ascension

Interactivity: All sessions must feature a minimum of 10 minutes of dedicated
audience Q&A time at the end of the session. Additional small-
group breakouts or discussions are optional but encouraged.
Updated 02/2026
Presentation: An optional presentation template has been included for use if the
Chapter sees fit. If used, the presentation should include required
slides as designated in the template, and no more than 3
additional content slides.
Questions for Discussion:
• How has your green program developed?
• Who was/is instrumental in developing and implementing your environmental
sustainability policies?
• What types of programs and collaborations have been most successful in your
sustainability plan?
• What measurable benefits, both financial and nonfinancial, have you derived
from the effort?
• What tools have you implemented that made sustainability more effective?
• How can a green program fit in with your larger community relations mission?
• What are the greatest financial challenges in developing a sustainability plan?
• In what ways have your buying patterns or choice of vendors changed?
• What did you do to promote and sustain your green program?
• What training initiatives have you implemented for your staff and organization?
• How does a culture of environmental sustainability affect patient and staff
satisfaction?
• What advice would you give to others who are just beginning a program in
environmental sustainability?
Materials for Distribution:
Donnellan, J. Thiel, C. “The Ethical Foundation for Environmental Responsibility.”
Healthcare Executive (January/February 2019).
Perlin, J. “Focusing the Climate Lens on Healthcare.” Healthcare Executive (July/August