The Mount Sinai Health System was celebrated by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) at the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) on Thursday November 10for committing to continuous action to decarbonize the healthcare sector and make healthcare facilities more resilient to the effects of climate change.
NEW YORK, November 10, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — The Mount Sinai Health System was celebrated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) at the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) on Thursday November 10for committing to continuous action to decarbonize the healthcare sector and make healthcare facilities more resilient to the effects of climate change. Mount Sinai has formally committed to pursuing the Biden administration’s climate goal of reducing emissions by 50% by 2030 and reaching net zero emissions by 2050 and has already made large-scale efforts to decarbonize.
A September 2021 consensus statement from more than 200 medical journals named climate change the #1 threat to global public health. It exposes millions of people in United States, and countless others around the world, to be harmed each year by increases in extreme heat waves, wildfires, floods, vector-borne diseases and other factors that aggravate chronic health conditions. These impacts disproportionately affect communities that are often already victims of long-standing discrimination. The healthcare sector also contributes to climate change, accounting for about 8.5% of US domestic emissions.
The HHS Office of Climate Change and Health Equity (OCCHE), part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health, developed the White House/HHS Health Sector Climate Pledge to help to target industry’s response to climate challenges. In addition to reducing their carbon footprint, signatories also commit to producing detailed plans to prepare their facilities for chronic and acute catastrophic climate impacts.
One hundred and two leading healthcare companies in United States signed the White House/HHS Health Sector Climate Pledge, which includes organizations representing 837 hospitals as well as health centers, suppliers, insurance companies, group purchasing organizations, pharmaceutical companies, and more. Federal systems such as the Indian Health Service, Veterans Health Administration, and the Military Health System work together to achieve goals similar to those adopted by these private sector organizations. Combined, this means more than 1,080 federal and private sector hospitals have made such commitments, together representing more than 15% of US hospitals.
“HHS returns this year to COP27 report great progress,” said Admiral Rachel Levin, the assistant secretary for health. “Through the efforts of the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity and several other HHS agencies, we have made significant progress in introducing resources and supports to help communities and healthcare providers accelerate their work to reduce harmful emissions and increase climate resilience in the healthcare sector.”
Mount Sinai has already reduced its energy-related carbon footprint by more than 30% since 2005. Key to these efforts were cooling and heating plant optimization projects at Mount Sinai Hospital, Icahn School of Medicine in Mount Sinai, and Mount Sinai West. Additional investments in cooling and electric heating technology are underway at Mount Sinai new labs and healthcare facilities everywhere New York City further reduce the health system’s dependence on fossil fuels.
“Mount Sinai is excited to join other healthcare industry leaders in expanding the progress we have already made. We understand the impacts of climate change on the health of the communities we serve. Thus, we are committed to reducing our impact on the environment while ensuring that we are resilient to the impacts of climate change,” said Christina McNeilisMPH, Associate Director of Sustainability at Mount Sinai Health System.
In addition, Mount Sinai works with its suppliers to better understand and decarbonize emissions related to its supply chain. Earlier this year, Mount Sinai signed The Cool Food Pledge, a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from food purchases by 25% by 2030.
For more information on how Mount Sinai responds to our nation’s climate challenges, visit http://www.Mountsinai.org.
About the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity
The Office of Climate Change and Health Equity (OCCHE) plays a critical role in protecting the country’s health from climate change-related risks, including extreme heat, natural disasters, vector-borne diseases, etc Among the supports provided by the OCCHE to companies in the health sector that wish to reduce their environmental impact and become more resilient to the effects of climate change include a series of webinars and an associated compendium of federal resources to support the reduction of emissions and the resilience. The OCCHE also regularly publishes Perspectives on Climate and Health, an effort to inform health professionals and the public about how our health could be affected in the coming months by climate events and provide resources to take proactive action.
About Mount Sinai Health System
Mount Sinai Health System is one of the largest academic medical systems in the New York metropolitan area, with more than 43,000 employees working in eight hospitals, more than 400 outpatient practices, nearly 300 laboratories, a nursing school, and a leading medical and graduate school. Mount Sinai advances health for everyone, everywhere, by addressing the most complex health care challenges of our time – discovering and applying new knowledge and scientific knowledge; developing safer and more effective treatments; train the next generation of medical leaders and innovators; and supporting local communities by providing high quality care to all who need it.
Thanks to the integration of its hospitals, laboratories and schools, Mount Sinai offers comprehensive healthcare solutions from birth to geriatrics, leveraging innovative approaches such as artificial intelligence and informatics while keeping patients’ medical and emotional needs at the center of all treatments. The health system includes approximately 7,300 primary and specialty care physicians; 13 joint-venture outpatient surgery centers located in the five arrondissements of New York City, Westchester, Long Islandand Florida; and over 30 affiliated community health centers. We are consistently ranked by US News & World Report’s Top Hospitals, receiving a high “Honor Roll” status, and are highly ranked: #1 in Geriatrics and Top 20 in Cardiology/Cardiac Surgery, Diabetes/Endocrinology, Gastroenterology /gastrointestinal surgery, neurology /Neurosurgery, orthopaedics, pulmonology/pulmonary surgery, rehabilitation and urology. New York Eye and Ear Infirmary Mount Sinai is ranked #12 in ophthalmology. US News & World Report’s “Best Children’s Hospitals” ranks Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital among the nation’s best in several pediatric specialties. The Icahn School of Medicine in Mount Sinai is one of three medical schools that has stood out on several metrics: it is consistently ranked in the top 20 by US News & World Report’s “Best Medical Schools”, aligned with an “Honor Roll” hospital in US News & World Report, and top 20 nationwide for National Institutes of Health funding and top 5 nationwide for many basic and clinical research areas. Newsweek’s “World’s Best Smart Hospitals” ranks Mount Sinai Hospital #1 in New York City and in the world top five, and Mount Sinai Morningside in the world top 30; Newsweek also ranks Mount Sinai Hospital first in 11 specialties as “World’s Best Specialty Hospitals” and “America’s Best Physical Rehabilitation Centers.” For more information, visit https://www.mountsinai.org where to find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Media Contact
Lucia LeeMount Sinai Health System, (917) 837-8914, newsmedia@mssm.edu
SOURCE Mount Sinai Health System
