Partnering with customers to drive sustainable healthcare

Oct 16, 2023 - Reading time 6-8 minutes

Climate change, water and air pollution, and loss of biodiversity pose a severe threat to global ecosystems and the health and well-being of hundreds of millions of people around the world.

Health leaders increasingly recognize that a healthy planet is a prerequisite for the health of their patients and the wider population. Ironically, the world’s healthcare systems account for over 4% of global CO2 emissions [1] – more than the aviation or shipping sectors – and are a major generator of waste. Our industry – not just healthcare systems, but also health technology companies and other stakeholders – has a responsibility to take action now!

Working together to address health and environmental challenges

It is universally accepted that, because of the enormity of this challenge, no single party has all the answers, or can do it on their own. As a health technology company, Philips believes that by partnering with care providers, practitioners, knowledge partners, and suppliers, we can scale sustainable practices and reduce our shared carbon footprint. Thereby creating a more resilient, sustainable and accessible healthcare industry for the generations to come.

Alongside improving patient outcomes and increasing efficiency, healthcare providers are increasingly focusing on mitigating their impact on the climate and making more sustainable choices.”

Peter Vullinghs

Market Leader Western Europe, Philips

Through partnerships, Philips can help healthcare providers address their clinical and operational challenges, and at the same time adopt sustainable ways of working. We do this through a set of practical, scalable measures and circular innovations, including EcoDesign of equipment, lifetime extension programs (e.g. upgrades and/or refurbishment), digitalization of workflows for care pathway optimization, circular financing solutions with equipment take-back, and responsible end-of-use management to avoid waste going to landfill.

the radiology operations command centre interface ali

Let’s take a closer look at one such partnership and hear the voice of our customer.

Philips and Champalimaud Foundation: partnering to halve the diagnostic imaging carbon footprint in five years

In March 2023, Philips and leading Portuguese translational biomedical research and clinical care provider Champalimaud Foundation signed a strategic partnership aimed at halving the carbon footprint from Champalimaud’s use of diagnostic and interventional imaging equipment by 2028.

The healthcare sector is a significant contributor to CO₂ emissions and therefore has an important role to play in mitigating climate change. This partnership will allow us to continue to ensure the best care for our patients while at the same time helping to reduce the healthcare sector’s environmental impact.”

Leonor Beleza

President of Champalimaud Foundation

The transformation of Champalimaud Foundation’s imaging technology infrastructure will be enabled by a series of practical measures designed to reduce energy consumption and dependency on natural resources. This is intended to help drive the quality and efficiency of care delivery, while also realizing more sustainable healthcare. As a result, many more patients are expected to be able to benefit from the hospital’s diagnostic healthcare services.

The power of concerted action

So what do partnerships like this one – and with other customers like Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Jackson Memorial Hospital and Rennes University Hospital – have in common? They each reflect a commitment by both partners to help mitigate climate change and biodiversity loss by driving systemic change towards more accessible and sustainable patient care. And a commonly held view that that requires collaboration – both across the healthcare value chain and in every aspect of the enterprise (procurement, operations, innovation, service delivery, etc.).

doctor and patient with enterprise viewer ali

Examples like these are greatly encouraging, as they illustrate how more and more healthcare providers are prioritizing and embedding sustainability in their operations. Combining sustainable practices with safe, efficient and effective methods of care to deliver better patient outcomes and experiences. And showing that – by acting together – we can take better care of people and the planet.

References

[1] Health Care Without Harm (2019). Healthcare’s climate footprint: How the health sector contributes to the global climate crisis and opportunities for action (p.22). https://noharm-global.org/documents/health-care-climate-footprint-report