Powering Down, Scaling Up Sustainability: One Radiology Team's Green Revolution
Weill Cornell Imaging at NewYork-Presbyterian is proud to present our very own Green Team! We are a diverse group ranging from radiologists to marketing professionals united in our mission to reduce the environmental impact of our radiology practices. The U.S. healthcare sector alone accounts for nearly 10% of total national energy consumption, with energy-intensive equipment like CT scanners and MRI machines playing a significant role. For this reason, we have empowered a dedicated group of individuals to actively advance our critical mission of sustainability, ensuring focused and impactful progress.
Our Mission
To lead the transformation of our radiology practices towards a more sustainable future by reducing our environmental footprint, enhancing energy efficiency, and minimizing waste. We are committed to adopting innovative technologies and practices that not only deliver the highest quality diagnostic care but also contribute to the well-being of our planet and future generations. Our goal is to promote responsible, sustainable radiology practices that improve patient outcomes while actively reducing our collective global impact.
Realistically, change doesn't happen overnight, but small shifts create momentum — and that is what we are doing: creating a wave of change through the support of our leadership. Our team started by looking for ‘low-hanging fruit’ within our practices — unsustainable practices we could easily address. Here is what we found:
Education and Awareness
Waste Reduction
Unnecessary Energy Consumption
Change, especially in healthcare, can appear insurmountable. However, our team identified many attainable adjustments and got to work on the following:
Staff Education
Our Green Team is leading the charge to educate staff about sustainable best practices. Through our monthly newsletter, we share tips and strategies for adopting more sustainable behaviors in the workplace and at home. Topics range from How to Compost in NYC to How to Upcycle Your Clothes. These announcements help empower employees to make more environmentally conscious decisions in their daily lives and to become more fluent in all things sustainability.
Waste Reduction
We identified the need for easy access to recycling bins at all our locations. In collaboration with WCM Office of Energy & Sustainability, we started performing walking tours to pinpoint where extra bins were needed and enhanced signage for better visibility. We also provided clearer guidelines on proper recycling through our monthly e-newsletter. One of our biggest waste reducing wins was the removal of all physical fax machines. By transitioning to electronic faxing across all sites, we expect to substantially reduce our paper waste.
Sustainable Supplies
Previously, our break room supplies were entirely single-use plastic. We have since made the profound switch to recyclable and compostable alternatives, reducing waste and promoting sustainability. We are also focused on eliminating supplies that come with excessive plastic packaging, further cutting down on single-use plastics. The best part is that the green option was also the cheaper one, making it an easy choice.
Ditch the Disc
As part of our ongoing efforts to modernize, we have started pushing for the adoption of digital image exchange. By encouraging the use of patient and physician portals for viewing images, we are reducing the reliance on physical discs while also streamlining the process and reducing landfill waste.
Energy Consumption
We identified a gap in our energy-saving practices: there were no guidelines in place for turning monitors off during non-operational hours. To address this, we are now working with our IT department to have our computers automatically power down during certain hours. This ensures energy is not wasted overnight or when our practices are closed.
With each of these changes, our mission has remained constant: positive change can be implemented without disrupting workflow or patient care. Each example demonstrates an opportunity to make a positive impact for our patients and our planet. Our work has only just begun. We welcome project ideas from our colleagues so our Green Team can expand on its successes. We hope to inspire you to create your own green teams within your organization. Together we can make a difference.
Contributor: Justine Pogorzelski, MHA
Email us at: wcinypsustainability@med.cornell.edu
Learn more about WCM’s Departments Green Leaders here: https://sustainability.weill.cornell.edu/green-initiatives/green-leaders...
WCM Sustainability Papers and Case Studies: https://sustainability.weill.cornell.edu/resources-faqs/wcm-sustainability-papers-and-case-studies