University of California, San Diego
IN-6: Hospital Network

In 2017 all UC medical centers and health systems -- including UC San Diego Health -- joined Practice Green Health. In 2018 we will be striving for a Practice Green Health award and setting water conservation and zero waste targets. (UC San Diego Health is part of the university's carbon neutrality goals already.) Along with forming its first sustainability committee, UC San Diego Health got a new energy manager in 2017 who is already identifying and implementing energy efficiency projects. To date, UC San Diego Health has identified and started to implement projects with an anticipated energy cost savings of $300,000 and a return on investment in excess of 18 percent per year. A 2017 Community Health Improvement Partnership (CHIP) Top Chef Competition winner, UC San Diego Health has 50 percent of all produce purchases from San Diego County or within 250 miles of the county. In food service, all chicken is antibiotic-free and beef is grass- fed and antibiotic-free. In addition, they started a composting program at both hospital sites (252,000 lbs. composted Dec 2016-June 2017), and operating room recycling training was undertaken at the Hillcrest and La Jolla Medical Centers. In 2018, UC San Francisco will bring its successful program of incentivizing, supporting and connecting health care faculty to infuse existing courses with relevant climate and sustainability concepts by conducting a workshop at UC San Diego Health and the School of Medicine. Finally, UC San Diego Health will be participating in the UC-wide effort to develop a lighting upgrade program for the UC Health System. The effort will develop strategies to overcome regulatory barriers; work will focus on co-benefits, like improved patient outcomes and diagnostic capabilities.