Environmental Sustainability

A healthy environment – clean air to breathe, fresh water to drink, fertile soil in which to grow our food – is fundamental to human health and well-being. At Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, we’re making meaningful changes to reduce our environmental footprint and address climate change, to live up to the health care tenet of "First, Do No Harm."

We're pursuing greenhouse gas reduction, leaner energy, healthier food, cleaner transportation, safer chemicals, less waste, and green building design including:

• Complete elimination of the use of desflurane, an anesthetic gas with global warming potential 20 times greater than its alternative
• Expansion of composting to all our hospitals where commercial services are currently available
• LED lighting fixture retrofits for high efficiency gains
• Heavily subsidized public transit passes enabling a staff drive alone rate of less than 30% to our Seattle sites
• VMFH is the first PNW health system to bring recycling inside our operating rooms
• VMFH is the first PNW health system to sign the Cool Food Pledge, aimed at reducing the carbon emissions associated with the food we serve by 25% by 2030
• VMFH planned and hosted the first CME-accredited climate symposium for health professionals in the United States

While the task ahead can feel daunting, we're proud of our accomplishments to date and we are excited about the opportunities before us. 

• Learn about CommonSpirit Health’s Net Zero by 2040 Climate Commitment