Our Efforts for Sustainability
At UVA Health, we're always looking for ways to improve the environment. We do this by:
- Reducing the amount of greenhouse gases we release
- Capturing and conserving water
- Minimizing and managing our waste
- Providing foods that are healthier for people and the environment
Minimizing Our Carbon Footprint
Conserving and managing energy use is the foundation for running a sustainable organization. At UVA Health, we reduce our carbon footprint with state-of-the-art and efficiently run facilities. Our buildings are designed and operated to:
- Enhance the patient experience
- Limit the buildings’ environmental impact
UVA has several programs to invest in sustainable, efficient, and safe operations. For example, UVA’s Sustainable Labs is an internationally recognized program that facilitates large-scale energy efficiency and safety improvements in laboratory buildings, researchers to lead energy conservation initiatives, recycling education, and more. Since we started, we have avoided $2.3 million in annual utility costs.
Patients and clinicians have also benefited from lighting upgrades that improve lighting quality while reducing energy use. See more about how new efficient lighting created a welcoming space for patients inside their Mobile Mammography Coach.
For all of our major construction and renovation projects, we pursue LEED certification or better and follow UVA’s award-winning Green Building Standards.
UVA Health, along with the School of Nursing and the School of Medicine, have a combined total of 19 LEED certified spaces from the U.S. Green Building Council.
LEED Certified Buildings
- Our South Tower of University Hospital is certified LEED Silver and highlighted in Healthcare Facilities Today.
- Our UVA Health Children's Battle Building achieved LEED Gold certification. Its sustainability attributes were featured in Medical Construction & Design.
Conserving Water
Across UVA Health, we track and manage our water use. Plus, we incorporate water efficiency into new construction.
We designed our hospital South Tower to be net-zero water. This means our total water consumption is intended to equal the amount of water recovered through the green roofs and HVAC system.
We then:
- Collect this recovered water in a 50,000-gallon cistern
- Make it available for use by the nearby chiller plant
Reducing Waste
Each day, U.S. healthcare facilities produce over 29 pounds of waste for every patient bed. Our Health System accounts for 1/2 of all waste produced at UVA.
We work to minimize and manage this waste with:
Our providers also drive grassroots efforts like X-ray recycling and eliminating single-use plastic bags to reduce waste in their departments.
Sustainable Food
We're committed to providing sustainable food in our cafes and patient meals. In 2023, 37% of our food and beverage spend at UVA Dine and the University Medical Center combined was sustainable, including an increase in plant-based food.
By promoting access to nutritious food, we improve overall patient, employee & community health.
- UVA Children’s brings locally sourced food to families in need with Local Food Hub’s Fresh Farmacy program.
- UVA Health improves health, equity & environment by participating in the Sustainable Food Collaborative.
Recognition & Partnerships for Sustainability
In 2022, UVA Health joined Practice Greenhealth: the leading membership and networking organization for sustainable healthcare in the U.S. In 2024, we were recognized with the Greening the OR Recognition Award. This award highlights clinicians’ efforts to improve waste management and reduction, energy management, and anesthesia use.
The University Medical Center earned Stryker's Sustainability Solutions Environmental Excellence Award, Platinum, for waste diversion, collection growth, and use of reprocessed devices, saving University Medical Center over $4.9M over 5 years while reducing environmental impact.
UVA students and clinicians participate in Virginia Clinicians for Climate Action (VCCA) leadership and annual Advocacy Day. Also, on the Planetary Health Report Card, UVA School of Medicine ranked near the top 10 for US medical schools.
UVA School of Nursing joined the Nurses Climate Challenge. This provides resources to educate health professionals about the health impacts of climate change.
UVA, along with UVA Health, participates in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings program. This includes commitments through the: