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New Project Announcement: Preparing Canada's Health Care Buildings for Net-Zero
The Coalition is excited to announce the beginning of a new project made possible with funding from the Government of Canada’s Low Carbon Economy Implementation Readiness Fund.
The new project “Preparing Canada’s Health Care Buildings for Net-Zero,” will target GHG emissions from fossil fuel use in buildings, nitrous oxide leakage from bulk storage and distributions systems in hospitals through a ‘Nix the Nitrous/Pas de Protoxyde Canada’ campaign, and hydrofluorocarbons used in metered dose inhalers (MDIs) prescribed by clinicians for treatment of respiratory ailments.
Learn more in our media release and stay tuned for project updates!
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Sustainable health care food system: Business case and implementation guide
In honour of World Food Day last week, the Coalition and partners were proud to announce the release of a new Business Case and Implementation Guide designed to help health care institutions transform their food services to be more sustainable.
From embracing food as medicine to reducing food waste and implementing plant-forward menus, this toolkit offers actionable strategies that can improve patient outcomes while also reducing carbon footprints.
By leading the way in sustainable food practices, health care facilities can set an example for the entire community.
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Welcome to our Advisors' Corner, where we explore what inspires our advisors to champion sustainability in health care. They share their insights on the most impactful changes the sector can make, as well as the barriers and opportunities on the path to a greener future.
Our next feature is Gigi Wong. Gigi is a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist for Quality with Lower Mainland Pharmacy Services (LMPS) in Vancouver, BC, who strives to increase awareness of the pharmacy impacts on planetary health, and to inspire action towards more sustainable health care systems.
Discover below how Gigi highlights the harmful impact of pharmaceuticals on wildlife, specifically how drugs in the environment affect species like fish and birds, which fuels her passion for environmental stewardship. She emphasizes the urgent need for health care to integrate planetary health into every decision, while also recognizing the barriers and opportunities for creating positive change in the system.
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Nawh whu’nus’en - We see in two worlds: Trauma sensitive practices for collectively healing in relationship
UBC CPD
Date: November 7th, 2024
Time: 5:30 - 8:00 PM PT
This course helps rural health professionals in British Columbia meet new provincial standards for culturally safe care, including the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC's Indigenous Cultural Safety Practice Standard and recommendations from "In Plain Sight." It integrates Indigenous knowledge with trauma-sensitive practices, blending neuro decolonization, polyvagal theory, and land-based healing to foster respectful relationships.
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CSA Standard for Cleaning & Disinfection in Health Care Facilities (Z317.12) - Public Consultation
CSA
The revised CSA Standard for Cleaning & Disinfection in Health Care Facilities (Z317.12) is now open for public consultation until December 3, 2024.
This draft standard has been updated with extensive input from Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) and Environmental Services (EVS) leaders across Canada.
In order to access the document, you must have a CSA account or create an account.
Please BELOW to access the CSA site.
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Integrating the sustainable development goals into health professions’ curricula: using the nominal group technique to guide their contextualisation
BMC Medical Education
To embed the Sustainable Development Goals in health profession education, educators must contextualise them to their profession and geographical region.
This study used the nominal group technique to contextualise the SDGs for Australian nutrition and dietetics tertiary education programs by determining the specific knowledge, skills, and values required for graduating dietitians to practise sustainably.
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Introduction to planetary health in primary care
The University of British Columbia
Read below on how a family physician transitioned from keeping environmental concerns separate from clinical practice to integrating them. Initially, despite personal commitment to environmentalism, the author saw environmental issues as peripheral to medicine. The turning point came when the Lancet Planetary Health Commission declared climate change the greatest health threat of the 21st century. This realization shifted their view, connecting health care’s impact—contributing 5% of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions—with the need for environmental action within clinical practice.
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Zero-waste living: a guide to a more sustainable lifestyle.
ivy Charging Network
While it might sound daunting to overhaul one’s lifestyle completely, it’s important to note that transitioning to zero-waste living is a gradual process.
Every small change we make in our daily routines significantly contributes to the broader goal: a cleaner and healthier environment for ourselves and generations to come.
This blog post is your roadmap to beginning a zero-waste lifestyle, revealing the ease and satisfaction of making eco-friendly choices.
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Getting serious about sustainability in dentistry
oralhealth
This paper explores how dentists can mitigate environmental impact through advocacy and actions, both professionally and personally. It reviews literature from 2014-2023 and suggests feasible interventions focused on leadership, prevention, supply chain, transport, energy, and waste management.
By incorporating multimedia tools for learning, the study provides practical suggestions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, stressing the importance of addressing environmental consequences in a developed health care system.
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Fact Sheet: HHS continues taking action to increase access and supply of IV fluids following hurricane Helene
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Read below on how green health care practices played a critical role in the recovery efforts following storm damage to Baxter International’s facility. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), along with other agencies, took swift actions to restore the supply of IV fluids, reducing waste, and enhancing the sustainability of operations. Efforts included importing IV fluids, expediting regulatory processes, and utilizing the Defense Production Act to support the rebuilding of Baxter’s facility.
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Making health care lighting more energy efficient and sustainable
Healthcare Facilities Today
Lighting is often one of the primary elements of a health care facility changed to address energy efficiency and sustainability. This is because lighting is kept on and running for a large portion of the day, thus consuming its fair share of energy. More energy efficient technologies have been introduced such as LEDs, lighting controls systems and daylight harvesting that can help cut energy consumption. In this manufacturer roundtable, Healthcare Facilities Today speaks with lighting manufacturers about the latest developments that make lighting more energy-saving and sustainable.
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World's best hospitals 2024
Newsweek
Congratulations to Toronto General Hospital – University Health Network for ranking as the third best hospital in the world in Newsweek’s 2024 list! This is a remarkable achievement, showcasing their excellence in patient care, research, and innovation.
Additionally, many other Canadian hospitals made the top 50, highlighting the strength of Canada's health care system on the global stage. Well done to all involved in advancing world-class health care!
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New Far North hospital moves closer to being built after $1.8B design, build contract awarded
CTV News
Weeneebayko Area Health Authority (WAHA) and the Government of Ontario have awarded a $1.8 billion contract to design, build and finance a new Far North hospital. The hospital will serve remote and Indigenous communities along the James Bay and Hudson Bay coasts, improving access to much-needed health care services. This project is part of a broader effort to enhance health care infrastructure in northern regions.
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Sustainability efforts achieve a North American first
Alberta Health Services
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South Health Campus (SHC) in Calgary has been recognized as North America's first International Beacon site for integrating sustainability into health care, thanks to its adoption of the Sustainability in Quality Improvement (SusQI) framework. Awarded by the UK’s Centre for Sustainable Healthcare, this designation highlights SHC's commitment to reducing its carbon footprint while improving patient care. Led by Dr. Bhavini Gohel, the initiative focuses on prevention, patient empowerment, and low-carbon alternatives. SHC plans to expand these efforts through upcoming workshops and a Green Team competition.
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Version 9.1 of the RETScreen® Clean Energy Management Software platform is now available for download from the RETScreen website. This update has arrived with a number of salient new features to enhance the RETScreen experience!
One of the latest features is an automated Net Zero Planning Tool which further enables portfolio-wide decarbonization planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting – all available within one single multilingual platform. Learn more about the new tool HERE.
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The Canadian Circular Economy Summit
Date: April 16-17, 2024
Location: Fairmont Queen Elizabeth, Montréal, QC
The Canadian Circular Economy Summit provides an opportunity for leaders across sectors and industries to come together in-person, to share leading efforts and activities, and to identify the solutions, innovations, and cross-sectoral collaborations necessary to accelerate the transition to a circular economy across Canada.
No matter where you are in your circular economy journey, the Canadian Circular Economy Summit 2025 has something for everyone.
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Recipes for Change: Food Infrastructures for Planetary Health
CASCADES
Date: October 31st, 2024
Time: 12:00 pm ET
Location: Zoom
Healthy food and food systems are important ingredients for direct and indirect improvements to patient, public and ecosystem health. Planning, designing, and delivering food infrastructures to support planetary health means aligning what we truly value with how we value and measure it. Join the authors of the Food Infrastructures for Planetary Health playbook for a webinar exploring the ways that planetary health can be integrated as a key consideration in decision-making.
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Have you registered as an organ donor?
Contact your local organ donation agency and speak to your family about your wishes. You have the power to save and transform lives. Learn more and register to donate HERE.
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The Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care is Canada’s premier green health care resource network, leading the evolution of green in Canada’s health sector as a national voice and catalyst for environmental change. www.greenhealthcare.ca | |
Some articles referred to in the Digest make reference to services and/or product offerings from specific suppliers. The CCGHC recommends that readers research the service and product offerings available through a wider range of suppliers for comparison purposes and in keeping with public sector purchasing guidelines. These articles should not be interpreted as an endorsement of any product or service. | | | | |
