Climate Smart Monthly is a bulletin aimed at showcasing a new way each month to improve the sustainability of our health system. These are a wide range of topics, where someone can showcase their interesting ideas and projects so everyone can learn from them and help their own systems and practices become more sustainable!
November 2021: Climate Smart Health Care and COVID-19
The Stanford Laundered Gown Initiative, led by Stanford students and advised by Stanford faculty, intends to transition Stanford’s healthcare facilities towards reusable gowns. They were inspired by the lack of PPE availability during the pandemic and have had success in publicizing their efforts and connecting with administration.
August 2021: Planting trees with the Philly TREEs Initiative
The Philly TREEs (Towards Racial and Environmental Equity) initiative, led by medical students Jeromy Gotschall and Zonia Moore from the University of Pennsylvania, is a partnership project that aims to increase tree cover in low income and predominately black neighborhoods of Philadelphia.
May 2021: Attitudes Towards Adherence and Resistance to Healthcare Workplace Sustainability Initiatives
Pranav Jayaraman’s a MPH student at University of Texas shares his award-winning Healthcare Waste research project.
April 2021: The Sustainable Pharmacy Project
Learn about how pharmacy students are advocating for more climate smart pharmaceutical practices and opportunities for physicians to contribute to creating less pharma waste!
March 2021: Conducting Community Climate Research
MS4SF member, Becca Bromley-Dulfano, shares one of the best ways she has found to affect change at the community level, by engaging with local public health and government groups in partnership with ongoing work on climate change.
February 2021: A Declaration of Energy Independence- Lessons from Gundersen
Learn from Operations Specialist Emma Westphal how Gundersen Health System in La Crosse, Wisconsin is punching well above its weight in the movement for greater health care system sustainability. Strong leadership, dedicated engineers, and long term commitment helped Gundersen become a national leader in environmental innovation.
August 2020: Organics Recycling
Allison Sawyer, University of Minnesota Organics Coordinator, discusses the importance of diverting organic waste from traditional incinerators and landfills into compost and how to get this practice started in your healthcare system.
June 2020: Repurposing Blue Wrap
Carol Fonesca, MS3 at American University of the Caribbean Medical School, discusses excess waste in operating rooms and how to repurpose the ubiquitous OR blue wrap.
May 2020: Conducting a Waste Audit
Sarah Hsu, MS2 at Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, discusses what a waste audit is and how to get started on performing one.
Medical Students for a Sustainable Future 