Creating a Sustainable Future

Caring for you - and our planet

At WellSpan Health, sustainability is part of how we care for our communities.

We know that good health depends on more than access to quality care. It depends on the health of our environment.

That’s why we are committed to making sustainable choices that benefit our patients, our communities, and our planet. We focus on conserving resources, reducing waste, and lowering greenhouse gas emissions across our health system.

Why sustainability in healthcare matters

Healthcare has a significant impact on the environment.

The U.S. healthcare industry produces 8.5% of total national greenhouse gas emissions
The industry spends about $8.3 billion each year on energy
Hospitals are often the largest water users in their communities
Hospitals generate more than 30 pounds of waste per bed each day

These facts highlight the importance of sustainability in healthcare.

Our climate commitment

WellSpan is participating in the Health Care Without Harm Climate Challenge.

As part of this effort, we have committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030.

This work supports our mission to become the region’s leader in value and to advance the triple aim of healthcare:

Improving health
Providing better care
Lowering costs for consumers

Learn more in our latest Climate Resilience Plan

Working together to make an impact

With more than 23,000 team members, WellSpan is taking action across the health system to meet our sustainability goals. We focus our work in key areas that have the greatest impact.

Greening our operations

We are reducing waste and emissions in our facilities by:

Reducing emissions from anesthesia gases
Expanding on site recycling programs
Reprocessing single use medical devices
Implementing waste reduction programs

Sustainable procurement

Our purchasing practices support sustainability and local communities by:

Purchasing goods locally, when possible
Partnering with local food and beverage vendors
Switching to reusable and reprocessed products
Using sustainable interiors and cleaning supplies

Conserving energy every day

We are investing in cleaner and more efficient energy solutions, including:

Electric and hybrid electric vehicles
Electric vehicle (EV) charging stations
Energy conservation capital improvement projects
Energy efficient facility design
Renewable energy initiatives

Building healthier communities

Every action we take contributes to the long term health of our communities.

We partner with programs like Good Food, Healthy Hospitals to support better nutrition and healthier food systems. We are also pursuing LEED certification for projects such as the WellSpan York Hospital Expansion Project and continuing efforts to recycle hospital plastics.

Learn more about our progress

You can explore our sustainability efforts in our latest reports:

Together, we are creating a healthier future—for our patients, our communities, and our planet.

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Creating a Sustainable Future

Caring for you - and our planet