Leading hospitals and health systems in the U.S. are gaining momentum toward decarbonization and community resilience while leveraging their assets to move policies and markets.
The 12 health systems announced signing the Impact Purchasing Commitment to build healthy, equitable, and climate-resilient local economies through how they spend their dollars. The commitment directs health care purchasing toward industries that decrease their carbon footprint, produce safer products and services, and grow economic opportunities for people of color- and women-owned businesses by at least $1 billion over five years.
Health system signatories committed to adopting sustainable procurement goals, which help build additional momentum garnered by hospitals in the Practice Greenhealth network to purchase goods and services that minimize damage to health and the environment.
“The health care sectors’ oath to ‘do no harm’ cannot solely focus on treating the mass of patients descending through their doors amidst a pandemic, heatwave, or disastrous hurricane.” Gary Cohen, founder of Health Care Without Harm and Practice Greenhealth, wrote in a recent op-ed in The Hill’s Changing America. “If the sector is to remain viable, it must play a far larger role – as an anchor in their community addressing the conditions that perpetuate these public health disasters.”
Impact Purchasing Commitment signatories:
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The commitment was designed by the Healthcare Anchor Network in partnership with Health Care Without Harm and Practice Greenhealth.