Environmental Responsibility

The Catholic health ministry serves our communities by healing the sick, serving the poor and vulnerable and leading by example. Through the strength of more than 2000 Catholic health care sponsors, systems, facilities and related organizations, we have the power and responsibility to make health care more environmentally safe for our patients, employees, communities and planet.

We can improve the health of our communities — locally and globally — by reducing waste, shrinking our carbon footprint, using environmentally safe materials and adopting sustainable food policies.

We are committed:

• As health professionals, to "first, do no harm."
• As Catholic ministries, to care for the sick and vulnerable, the unborn and all of creation.
• As neighbors, to act in the best interest of our communities.

Inspired by our faith and values the Catholic health ministry has formed a partnership with sponsors, systems, facilities and with experts in environmental responsibility to to reduce the environmental burden of the health care we provide.

On-Demand PowerPoints for Use in Associate Education

CHA, funded through a grant by the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change (CCCC) and the National Religious Partnership for the Environment, has developed five on-demand educational modules that are short and to the point for use in Catholic health care. Developed in collaboration with Practice Greenhealth and the CCCC, the topics and leaders narrating each include:

• Mission and the Environment, with Fr. Thomas Nairn, OFM, Ph.D., of CHA.
• Leadership Engagement, with Colleen Scanlon, RN, JD, of Catholic Health Initiatives.
• Getting Started, with Julie Trocchio of CHA.
• Creating Dashboards, with Janet Brown of Practice Greenhealth.
• The Catholic Climate Covenant — How Health Care is an Essential Partner, with Dan Misleh of the CCCC.

Other Popular Resources

• Practice Greenhealth Standardized Environmental Questions for Medical Providers
  This tool can be used to guide the identification, selection and procurement of environmentally preferable medical products. It is intended to serve as a template with a common set of standardized questions on key environmentally preferable attributes of medical products that can be used by all stakeholders, including Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs) and health care purchasers in their supply chain procurement process and manufacturers and suppliers in their entire product life cycle process.
• CHA's new Getting Started Guide. In collaboration with practice Greenhealth, this electronic booklet provides a good starting place for invigorating your sustainability efforts.
• An electronic compilation of articles (.pdf, 18 MB) from the past year as published in CHA's two publications, Catholic Health World and Health Progress.
• A ready-to-use PowerPoint presentation. This resource highlights environmental responsibility as part of our mission and includes some helpful suggestions and information.
• Sustainability and Environmental Care Fact Sheet — 2010-2020, Catholic Healthcare West (.pdf)
• Year in Review, A collection of articles from Catholic Health World and Health Progress (.pdf, 18 MB)
• Environmental Sustainability Getting Started Guide (.pdf)
• Climate Change and Catholic Health Care Brochure (.pdf)
  Order free copies of the brochure at the CHA Online Store
• The Cry of the Earth — A Pastoral Reflection on Climate Change by The Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference (.pdf)
• The Feast of St. Francis (2:47 .wmv)
• Prayer for Sustainability of Our Earth - Providence Health & Services (.pdf)
• Environmental Sustainability and Catholic Health Care (.ppt)
• Environmental Sustainability and Catholic Health Care Awareness document (.pdf)
• Environmental Sustainability and Catholic Health Care Mission document (.pdf)
• Environmental Sustainability and Catholic Health Care — Getting Started (.pdf)

BHCAA Award Recognition Program
CHA has jointed as a supporter of the Environment Protection Agency's Building Healthy Communities for Active Aging award program, a national recognition for communities that combine smart growth and active aging. The goal of the award program is to raise awareness across the nation about how communities can combine smart growth and active aging concepts. Awards will be presented to communities that demonstrate the best and most inclusive overall approach to implementing smart growth and active aging at the neighborhood, tribe, municipality, county and/or regional levels. EPA will announce the awards in the spring.

Environmental Sustainability and Stewardship Networking Conference Calls
For the past year, the Catholic Health Association has been involved in an initiative, Faithfully Healing the Earth, Catholic Health Care and Climate Change. As a next step, we want to build on the richness of the ministry's efforts to decrease their impact on the environment and be faithful stewards of our Earth by initiating a series of networking conference calls. These periodic calls will allow us, as a community of caregivers, to discuss issues, challenges, and successful practices.

• Learn more

Environmental Sustainability Getting Started Guide

• Download the Environmental Sustainability Getting Started Guide now. (.pdf)

Year in Review: Environmental Responsibility

A collection of articles from Catholic Health World and Health Progress.

• Download the Year in Review: Environmental Responsibility now. (.pdf)

"Before it is too late, it is necessary to make courageous decisions that reflect knowing how to re-create a strong alliance between man and the Earth. A decisive 'yes' to the protection of creation is necessary, and a firm commitment to reverse those tendencies that has run the risk of bringing about situations of unstoppable degradation."

— Pope Benedict XVI