Bassett Begins Journey Toward Environmental Sustainability

COOPERSTOWN—In order to reduce carbon emissions and become as carbon-neutral as possible, Bassett Healthcare Network has begun working with Healthcare Climate ActionWorks, the mission of which is to educate and support healthcare organizations as they embark on the next frontier of community health: delivering care at net zero.

“Part of our dedication to health and medicine means thinking beyond the traditional ways our services benefit patients and our communities,” said Dr. Tommy Ibrahim, president and chief executive officer of Bassett Healthcare Network. “As a provider of care and healing, Bassett Healthcare Network has a responsibility to practice and operate in a manner that is healthy for both our patients and the environment in which our communities reside. This need becomes more evident each day as we continue to witness the effects of climate change.”

Carbon neutrality, at its core, means establishing practices that strike a balance between the amount of carbon being emitted into the environment versus sequestered—the process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide—achieving a net neutral impact on the environment. Greenhouse gases, including substances like carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, trap heat in the atmosphere, causing warming. Unsustainable fossil fuels—such as oil, for example, which is used to produce plastic—increase these global emissions, which are toxic to our environment.  

The healthcare industry contributes to approximately 10 percent of carbon emissions across the United States alone—using daily energy for processes like building heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning, anesthesia gases, and vehicles and machinery. Healthcare facilities also create a certain amount of waste (medical, food, supplies and materials, and more). “At Bassett, we are taking a hard look at the ways we can make our practices more environmentally healthy and sustainable for the benefit of our patients, communities and planet,” Dr. Ibrahim added. “This important effort will take both short- and long-term planning and analysis to begin working toward our goals.”

“We are very excited to partner with Bassett Healthcare Network and support their journey to delivering care centered around environmental sustainability,” said Neal C. Hogan, PhD, chairman and chief executive officer of Healthcare Climate ActionWorks. “Emissions reduction improves the health of communities—and it is incumbent upon healthcare providers to take these steps toward a healthier future.”

Bassett Healthcare Network is developing its sustainability plans in phased approaches with discovery, research and planning. Project stages focus on executive leader and caregiver education, comprehensive emissions and waste assessments across Bassett’s facilities over 5,600 square miles, renewable energy need appraisals, and strategy and implementation. Plans are being designed for long-term improvement and sustainability.

“Healthcare—especially rural healthcare—extends beyond the walls of any hospital or clinic,” Dr. Ibrahim concluded. “Keeping our earthly home clean and sustainable is imperative for the future of society, and a crucial part of Bassett’s commitment to fostering healthy rural communities.”