Implementing a Green ICU Pathway Across a Large U.S. Health System: An Observational Study

Sharing our newest publication in Society Of Critical Care Medicine Journal Critical Care Explorations: “Implementing a Green ICU Pathway Across a Large U.S. Health System.” Across 8 hospitals and 400+ ICU beds, we put sustainability into practice, not just theory. On-demand IV medication prep cut waste from 4.8% to 1.4%, avoiding ~200 mTCO2e and $1.87M annually, while smarter supply use diverted ~3,401 mTCO2e per year and a saline flush recycling program collected 1,600+ lbs. in its first year. None of it happened without strong partnerships between clinicians, supply chain, patient and family engagement and a dedicated Sustainability Office. We are adding measurable data in Critical Care sustainability field that’s still evolving.  

Translating this into layman terms 

3,600 metric tons of CO2e is roughly:

• About 780 cars driven for a full year

• Electricity for ~480 average U.S. homes for a year

• About 405,000 gallons of gasoline burned

• Equivalent to what roughly 60,000 tree seedlings would absorb over 10 years of growth