New TAHSN report showcases Sunnybrook’s work in promoting climate action and sustainability in healthcare

Across the Toronto Academic Health Sciences Network (TAHSN), partner hospitals are taking big steps to prioritize sustainability in healthcare by implementing programs and initiatives across their strategic plans, leadership, and governance structures.

This year, TAHSN released its first Climate & Sustainability Report, which highlights the efforts of 13 academic hospitals affiliated with the University of Toronto to prioritize sustainability and climate action, as assessed by a recently developed Sustainability Balanced Scorecard.

The report is the first of its kind for TAHSN with hospitals measuring themselves against four categories, each with their own sustainability objectives:

• Leading – organizational capacity, leadership and governance
• Caring – appropriate care and supply stewardship
• Building – infrastructure, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and waste
• Shaping – procurement and resilience to climate shocks and stresses

Each of the four categories identifies two objectives for a total of eight. Each objective incorporates a series of criteria to assess achievement. Organizations were scored on a green (achieved), yellow (partially achieved) and red (not achieved) scale.

“The TAHSN Climate & Sustainability Report is an important part of moving hospitals towards a more sustainable health-care system,” says Sunnybrook Quality & Patient Safety Manager Genny Ng. “This work enables organizations to monitor internal progress, measure performance and drive quality improvement.”

Sunnybrook has taken numerous steps to champion climate action and sustainability efforts across the hospital and our community. On the TASHN scorecard, Sunnybrook achieved notable success in areas focused on appropriate patient care, products and supplies, and procurement, leading to a final score of three green, one yellow, and four red.

Here is a look at some of the Sunnybrook initiatives outlined in this year’s report:

Cross-functional sustainability teams

In 2022, Sunnybrook introduced the Green Task Force to guide sustainability efforts across all hospital campuses. The task force includes members from across the hospital, bringing together cross-function expertise.

“Sunnybrook’s Green Task Force is an important part of moving Sunnybrook towards a greener future. Through this work we aim to foster transparency, inspire innovation and increase collaboration for a more sustainable health system,” says Genny Ng.

The task force has developed the GROW framework, which focuses efforts on Green Buildings and Grounds, Research, Education and culture, Clinical Operations, and Waste Procurement. Key performance indicators track the task force’s progress, which is then reported to the Board of Directors.

Medication stewardship

Sunnybrook is taking steps to address polypharmacy, the use of multiple medications to treat one ailment, and asses opportunities for deprescribing. At Sunnybrook, physicians and pharmacists perform 90-day medication reviews for patients and residents to ensure medication use and dosing align with each patient’s unique needs and goals.

Sunnybrook has also implemented anti-psychotic medication stewardship programs at the Veterans Centre, Reactivation Care Centre and Holland Centre to ensure appropriate prescribing practices.

Supply stewardship

Reducing medical supply waste is an important part of Sunnybrook’s sustainability efforts. To achieve this, Sunnybrook has introduced a medical supply waste project to help standardize storage and reduce waste from overstocking. Sunnybrook has also introduced practices to help reduce medical glove waste, and prevent drug expiry and improper inhaler prescribing.

Climate risk preparedness

Sunnybrook is leveraging emergency preparedness efforts to address climate change. In 2020, Sunnybrook conducted a disaster and emergency risk assessment to identify high-priority hazards such as floods, water disruption, pandemics, and sever weather. By embedding climate risk assessments into its emergency preparedness efforts, Sunnybrook can ensure it is ready to address future climate hazards, while safeguarding regular patient care.

In an effort to address the effects on increasing global temperatures, Sunnybrook is working with the North Toronto Ontario Health Team to develop a coordinated heat response. Sunnybrook has also expanded efforts to improve access to cooling devices for vulnerable older adults and adults with schizophrenia.

Looking to the future

The release of the 2024 TAHSN Climate & Sustainability Report has showcased the progress of all 13 hospital sites while charting a path to a greener health-care system, ready and able to address our ever-changing global climate. Another assessment is planned for 2025 to continue monitoring and driving performance, celebrating achievements, and sharing practices and learnings across and beyond the hospital network.

As part of its sustainability efforts, Sunnybrook will continue to work closely with TAHSN partners to share knowledge and best practices while championing our environmental stewardship programs to reduce our ecological footprint and make the health-care system more resilient to climate change.