Skip to main content
Subscribe
  • Login
  • My Account
  • Logout
  • Register For Free
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Current News
    • Providers
    • Insurance
    • Government
    • Finance
    • Technology
    • Safety & Quality
    • Digital Health
    • Transformation
    • ESG
    • People
    • Regional News
    • Digital Edition (Web Version)
    • Patients
    • Operations
    • Care Delivery
    • Payment
    • Midwest
    • Northeast
    • South
    • West
  • Blogs
    • AI
    • Deals
    • Layoff Tracker
    • HLTH 2024
    • Sponsored Content: Vital Signs Blog
  • Opinion
    • Letters
    • From the Editor
  • Events & Awards
    • Awards
    • Conferences
    • Galas
    • Virtual Briefings
    • Webinars
    • Nominate/Eligibility
    • 100 Most Influential People
    • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
    • 40 Under 40
    • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
    • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
    • Innovators Awards
    • Diversity Leaders
    • Leading Women
    • Best in Business Awards
    • The 2030 Playbook Conference
    • Innovations in Patient Experience
    • Leading Women Conference & Awards Luncheon
    • Leadership Summit
    • Workforce Summit
    • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
    • Diversity Leaders Gala
    • - Looking Ahead to 2025
    • - Financial Growth
    • - Hospital of the Future
    • - Value Based Care
    • - Looking Ahead to 2026
  • Multimedia
    • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
    • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
    • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
    • Sponsored Video Series - Checking In with Dan Peres
  • Data & Insights
    • Data & Insights Home
    • Hospital Financials
    • Staffing & Compensation
    • Quality & Safety
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Skilled Nursing Facilities
    • Data Archive
    • Resource Guide: By the Numbers
    • Surveys
    • Data Points
  • Newsletters
  • MORE+
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Media Kit
    • Jobs
    • People on the Move
    • Reprints & Licensing
    • Sponsored Content
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Providers
September 18, 2023 01:22 PM

Joint Commission to launch environmental sustainability certificate

Kara Hartnett
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print
    The Joint Commission exterior
    The Joint Commission

    The Joint Commission is introducing an environmental sustainability certification program that aims to lay the groundwork for decarbonization efforts in hospitals.

    Beginning Jan. 1, the voluntary program will certify hospitals that prioritize environmental sustainability as a strategic goal and allocate resources to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The initiative comes as the Joint Commission overhauls its accreditation standards to alleviate administrative burdens on healthcare organizations while making space for new strategic priorities.

    Hospitals in the sustainability program must appoint a leader to oversee sustainability efforts, track emissions from at least three sources of greenhouse gas—fuel combustion, electricity, anesthetic gasses, pressurized metered-dose inhalers, carbon-based fuel and waste disposal—and have a plan to reduce them. Hospitals must demonstrate an overall decline in these emissions within two years of certification.

    Related: Joint Commission cuts more accreditation standards

    The optional certification comes after the Joint Commission considered adding environmental sustainability standards to its accreditation programs but did not after hearing industry concerns. Dr. Jonathan Perlin, president and CEO of the Joint Commission, said the agency is attempting to build consensus through education and promoting available resources.

    The program will help bring uniformity to decarbonization efforts across the industry and create a forum for health systems to learn from each other. It will be administered virtually and is accessible to non-accredited organizations, he said.

    “We wanted it to be a bar that's not insurmountable," Perlin said. "We wanted it to be as inclusive as possible. And so this may be relatively easy for organizations that are well into their journey, but it's a great starting place for organizations that are beginning their journey.” 

    Investing in sustainability will ultimately boost patient safety and help hospitals’ bottom lines, he said. For instance, hospitals can enhance patient outcomes by reducing chemical exposure and enhancing indoor air quality. Additionally, healthcare organizations can use existing tax incentives to finance renewable energy projects, leading to long-term cost reductions.

    “Climate change is not only an environmental issue, but it's a health issue. It's a health equity issue,” Perlin said. “And because of the recent legislation, it's a financial opportunity.”

    The Joint Commission also has launched advisory panels dedicated to environmental sustainability to review existing standards and recommend new ones. As a result, the commission has modified the wording of several accreditation standards to prevent health systems from generating unnecessary waste.

    Related Articles
    Joint Commission cuts more accreditation standards
    5 things HHS says hospitals can do to reduce emissions
    Joint Commission adding health equity certification program
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Send us a letter

    Have an opinion about this story? Click here to submit a Letter to the Editor, and we may publish it in print.

    Recommended for You
    mh-20250513-Yellowstone-rural
    How 24 rural hospitals look to improve value-based care
    mh-20250509-dementia
    Federal dementia pilot has rocky rollout for some providers
    Most Popular
    1
    UnitedHealth under criminal investigation for Medicare fraud: WSJ
    2
    States, providers face brunt of GOP Medicaid cuts plan
    3
    UnitedHealth Group to cut Medicare drug plan commissions
    4
    Federal dementia pilot has rocky rollout for some providers
    5
    'Legendary' Hemsley takes over at UnitedHealth amid rough seas
    Sponsored Content
    Modern Healthcare A.M. Newsletter: Sign up to receive a comprehensive weekday morning newsletter designed for busy healthcare executives who need the latest and most important healthcare news and analysis.
    Get Newsletters

    Sign up for enewsletters and alerts to receive breaking news and in-depth coverage of healthcare events and trends, as they happen, right to your inbox.

    Subscribe Today
    MH Magazine Cover

    MH magazine offers content that sheds light on healthcare leaders’ complex choices and touch points—from strategy, governance, leadership development and finance to operations, clinical care, and marketing.

    Subscribe
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS

    Our Mission

    Modern Healthcare empowers industry leaders to succeed by providing unbiased reporting of the news, insights, analysis and data.

    Contact Us

    (877) 812-1581

    Email us

     

    Resources
    • Contact Us
    • Help Center
    • Advertise with Us
    • Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Editorial Dept
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Code of Ethics
    • Awards
    • About Us
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Modern Healthcare
    Copyright © 1996-2025. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Current News
      • Providers
      • Insurance
      • Government
      • Finance
      • Technology
      • Safety & Quality
      • Digital Health
      • Transformation
        • Patients
        • Operations
        • Care Delivery
        • Payment
      • ESG
      • People
      • Regional News
        • Midwest
        • Northeast
        • South
        • West
      • Digital Edition (Web Version)
    • Blogs
      • AI
      • Deals
      • Layoff Tracker
      • HLTH 2024
      • Sponsored Content: Vital Signs Blog
    • Opinion
      • Letters
      • From the Editor
    • Events & Awards
      • Awards
        • Nominate/Eligibility
        • 100 Most Influential People
        • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
        • 40 Under 40
        • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
        • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
        • Innovators Awards
        • Diversity Leaders
        • Leading Women
        • Best in Business Awards
      • Conferences
        • The 2030 Playbook Conference
        • Innovations in Patient Experience
        • Leading Women Conference & Awards Luncheon
        • Leadership Summit
        • Workforce Summit
      • Galas
        • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
        • Diversity Leaders Gala
      • Virtual Briefings
        • - Looking Ahead to 2025
        • - Financial Growth
        • - Hospital of the Future
        • - Value Based Care
        • - Looking Ahead to 2026
      • Webinars
    • Multimedia
      • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
      • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
      • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
      • Sponsored Video Series - Checking In with Dan Peres
    • Data & Insights
      • Data & Insights Home
      • Hospital Financials
      • Staffing & Compensation
      • Quality & Safety
      • Mergers & Acquisitions
      • Skilled Nursing Facilities
      • Data Archive
      • Resource Guide: By the Numbers
      • Surveys
      • Data Points
    • Newsletters
    • MORE+
      • Contact Us
      • Advertise
      • Media Kit
      • Jobs
      • People on the Move
      • Reprints & Licensing
      • Sponsored Content