By Jeff Ferenc
With looming federal reimbursement reductions poised to burden already financially challenged hospitals, sustainability’s potential to cut costs stands like an oasis in the desert. But this is no mirage. More than ever, sustainability offers opportunities to cut costs and improve the environment.
In keeping with the pursuit of optimization and sustainable operations, exploring sustainability strategies inherently forces hospitals to assess whether each department and system serving a facility’s infrastructure is a peak performer. Experience shows that cost-saving opportunities exist at even the environmentally savvy hospitals and often require simple actions with minimal investments that can pay substantial financial dividends.
Health care facilities also are learning that sustainability is an ongoing process rather than a single event; no facility climbs the green mountain in one day. Developing and executing effective plans that make efficient use of energy, water, waste management and environmental services take time.
After a brief lull in activity in 2010, it appears that taking steps to cut energy costs is experiencing a rejuvenation, according to the 2011 Energy Efficiency Indicator survey administered by the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE), Johnson Controls’ Institute for Building Efficiency (IBE) and others.