More than an 'initiative'
How UPMC embeds sustainability in systemwide change
Chief Medical Sustainability Officer, The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center launched its Center for Sustainability just over a year ago, shortly after naming Dr. Michael Boninger its chief medical sustainability officer. Modern Healthcare Custom Media caught up with him recently to talk about his evolving role and what it means for UPMC and for sustainability in healthcare.
You’ve worked in several roles at UPMC, including post-acute care and research in the rehabilitation field, which are completely outside the sustainability realm. Can you tell us how you embarked down the path to your current role?
When I became a department chair at UPMC, approximately 16 years ago, I knew that was a time-limited position. It became apparent to me that working on climate change and reducing global warming was an area that could use as many people rowing in the same direction as possible, and that became a focus for me. I started to educate myself on global warming and climate change. When I left the department chair position, I was offered different roles – though, in the back of my mind, I was always working toward a role in sustainability.
In 2022, I went on vacation to Hawaii, rented a kayak and paddled out to the straits where the whales migrate. It was magical. It’s also when I reconnect with nature that I feel I need to do something more with my life. I then wondered about the carbon impact of healthcare and what UPMC was doing in that realm, so I looked into it. I came back and said, ‘This is what I want to do.’ That began a series of dialogues which eventually led to my being named to my current role.
UPMC has a Center for Sustainability, which emphasizes its commitment to sustainability. Can you tell us more about how that came to fruition?
There were a couple of other events happening around the time I was advocating for my current role. First, there was a group of physicians that became active and concerned about healthcare’s carbon impact. They named themselves Clinicians for Climate Action, and they wrote a beautiful letter to the president of UPMC saying UPMC should be doing more. Second, there was a great deal of turnover among the people working in sustainability. So, we had an opportunity to relook at how UPMC was doing things. This brought me together with an incredibly strong leader that was working on sustainability already. In October of 2022 they announced the decision to name me chief medical sustainability officer alongside John Krolicki, who is chief administrative sustainability officer. Together, we formed the Center for Sustainability. This was no small feat – getting something named at a $24-billion health system – but it happened because senior leadership wanted to invest in this. A lot of places call this work an ‘initiative,’ which in my mind seems a little temporary. Here, there’s a large sign outside my door that says UPMC Center for Sustainability; that is meaningful. We’re not going anywhere, and we have every intention to grow.
UPMC’s Center for Sustainability is just over a year old. What are some of the first initiatives that the Center has embarked on?
One of the first things we did was sign the White House Climate Pledge, which sets a goal for us to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030. When John and I pitched this idea, we framed it as an important added value in employee retention and engagement. We know from the data that over 70% of our employees are worried about global warming. They're looking for things they can do, and if they can feel good about their workplace, that'll help us keep them on board as we deal with staffing shortages.
What are your plans for meeting the GHG reduction goals of the HHS Health Sector Climate Pledge?
The reduction goal is a monumental task, which touches all aspects of UPMC. Where we have focused our initial energy is aligning ourselves with existing structures and people to make sustainability fundamental to what we do. For example, our chief medical information officer, Rob Bart, is working on our electronic medical record redesign, and a pillar of that redesign is now sustainability. We have made sustainability part of the agenda for our surgical service line. We have a very strong facilities group here that has been working on making our buildings more efficient and our goals are aligning with them. These are all aspects of the health system that already existed, but now, sustainability is always at the table. I also don't think we can underestimate the value in engaging our employees in the process because, in the end, the frontline is where a lot of these changes can occur.
Can you share details about the scope of your role and your primary responsibilities?
One of my primary responsibilities is to engage with the clinicians. Engaging the clinician leadership is so important to making the changes. There are also plans in place to make sustainability a part of the teaching mission of the hospital and health system. We teach a lot of nurses, residents and medical students, and our goal is to bring in the clinical perspective. When you talk to a surgeon or anesthesiologist and they say, ‘Here's something I really want to do,’ then there's this momentum that gathers and enables greater change.
What qualities or skills do you think can set somebody up for success in a role like yours?
One important attribute is passion, caring about the planet. You probably need to have some previous administrative experience at a high level. It would be much harder for someone just starting here or who worked for UPMC for 30 years, but without leadership experience. Being a team player and collaborative is also critical. Knowing how to put other people in the spotlight for their efforts and work is helpful. Being nice to people is one of the most important things anyone can do – that’s what makes people want to do more for you. And, finally, you need to be comfortable with baby steps, with the small victories. We just keep chipping away, and one day, we’re going to make a huge difference because we have the structure to support it.
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