Sustainable Healthcare: The Role of Public Health Leaders

Sustainability in healthcare is becoming increasingly important as hospitals are some of the most energy-intensive buildings, emitting 2.5 times more greenhouse gases than commercial buildings. In the U.S., the healthcare sector alone contributes nearly 10% of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions, making it a significant factor in climate change. By adopting sustainable practices—such as energy-efficient facilities, waste reduction programs, and telemedicine—healthcare providers can reduce their environmental impact while also cutting operational costs. Sustainable initiatives not only improve public health by reducing pollution but also make healthcare systems more resilient against future environmental and economic challenges.

More healthcare businesses are prioritizing sustainability because it aligns with patient values and consumer expectations. A 2024 Dutch national survey of 9,371 patients found that 69% consider environmental sustainability an important aspect of healthcare, and 73% are willing to factor it into their healthcare decisions.

Danes aren’t the only ones concerned about sustainability. Additionally, public demand for corporate responsibility is rising, with 76% of Americans expecting businesses to take action against climate change. As a result, hospitals and healthcare organizations are increasingly adopting green policies, recognizing that sustainability is not just an ethical choice but also a competitive advantage that strengthens patient trust and long-term viability.

When you think about all of the problems the American healthcare system is facing—spotty insurance coverage, staffing shortages, prohibitive costs, long wait times—better leadership does not seem like the first or most obvious solution.

While there is no singular way to fix the American healthcare system, strong leadership can streamline medical processes, educate communities, and reduce employee turnover. In this article, we look at what it means to be a medical leader, and how strong professionals can make a big difference.

Who is Considered a Healthcare Leader?

The definition is flexible. Healthcare leaders could be someone in high office. An Anthony Fauci type. Someone who gives a face to a problem. Fauci, of course, was uniquely famous as a healthcare leader. In times of peace, the job might be well-known only to those who come into direct contact with it.

The manager of a clinic, say. An advocate or non-profit executive who connects people with care. Even a social influencer who calls attention to a situation.

In the hospital setting, hierarchical leadership is better defined. For example:

• A Nurse Leader Oversees nursing staff and patient care departments. They develop strategic nursing protocols and quality improvement initiatives while ensuring high standards of patient safety and clinical excellence.
• A Healthcare Administrator manages the overall operations of medical facilities or healthcare systems. They coordinate budgets, staffing, and administrative functions. They may also implement policies to improve organizational efficiency and patient outcomes.
• Public Health Leaders design and implement population-wide health strategies and interventions. They work with government agencies and community organizations to address public health challenges.

The way in which a healthcare leader can influence the direction of a community’s healthcare system depends on their role.

Leaders could:

• Emphasize vaccine season- Flu and Covid vaccines are life-saving, not just for the person who receives them, but for the people in their communities as well. While these vaccine seasons and guidelines remain mostly the same each year, having someone in a leadership position highlight them can help draw attention, saving lives in the process.

• Spotlight national health concerns- Many of the most nefarious healthcare-related concerns aren’t publicized to nearly the same extent as Covid. For example, almost 20% of American children are considered obese. This dramatically increases the risk of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Having leaders highlight this concern can make a quantifiable difference. Michelle Obama led initiatives to decrease the number of unhealthy foods being served in public schools during her time as First Lady.
• Advocate- Healthcare leaders can also serve as voices for people who don’t have them. This can include anything from advocating for the uninsured, to trying to improve conditions for healthcare workers as they face unprecedented levels of turnover. Sometimes a few strong voices can be enough to promote significant change.

In the next few headings, we look at more specific examples of how healthcare leadership can play out.

Educate

All healthcare professionals can help the people in their community understand what their risk factors are and how they can navigate them. Some ailments are regionally specific. A community might have higher than average rates of heart disease or obesity.

They might have environmental health concerns. Maybe there is a nearby factory linked to respiratory illness. Healthcare facilities can develop educational resources that help community members understand the ways in which they are at risk and address those variables directly.

Education programs may also be designed to inform people about cost-saving initiatives, free clinical opportunities, or vaccine efficacy.

Optimize

Internally, good healthcare professionals can help improve a system by optimizing processes. Staffing shortages are one of the biggest problems hospitals are facing. There are literally tens of thousands of nursing jobs that continue to go unfilled in the United States.

Optimized medical processes and systems can’t erase that problem but they can smooth it out. For example, a good administrator or nursing leader might:

• Leverage data-driven insights to optimize processes.
• Introduce remote patient monitoring technology to streamline tasks.
• Develop telehealth modules to decrease the amount of foot traffic in the hospital.

Increased efficiency can reduce the amount of stress doctors and nurses experience, making their jobs a little easier in the process.

Retain

At the hospital level, leaders can also help improve employee retention. Many doctors, nurses, and other professionals leave healthcare because of the stress. While the work-related challenges are unavoidable, hospital policy can influence individual experiences.

How does the healthcare institution support burnt-out nurses? Healthcare leaders who can provide a good answer to that question may:

• Improve healthcare workers’ quality of life and Reduce turnover with the same move.

Many hospitals help support their employees by introducing more flexible schedules. Doing away with twelve-hour shifts. Providing emotional support resources. Channels where they can communicate concerns and grievances. Maybe mentorship programs where young nurses—statistically proven to be the most likely to leave the profession—can connect with more experienced veterans.

Obviously, paying healthcare workers more doesn’t hurt either.

Improving retention won’t completely fix shortages. There is still a fundamental healthcare recruitment problem—more workers retire than enter to replace them. Still, healthcare environments that keep more nurses will be less overwhelmed and more productive. That’s a big win, and good healthcare leaders make it possible.

Conclusion

Many of today’s biggest healthcare problems lack quick solutions. Fixing staffing shortages, as just one example, could take fifteen years of solid student recruitment and employee retention initiatives. To fix insurance or medical debt you’d need—well. If you can finish that sentence, consider running for office.

Hard doesn’t mean insurmountable. Good work done by strong healthcare leaders today paves the way to a brighter tomorrow. If you are interested in becoming part of the solution, start thinking about what aspects of healthcare interest you the most. There are tons of different leadership jobs, from roles that put you in direct contact with the community, to positions that will allow you to make administrative decisions.

Figure out how you can make a difference, and start working toward a brighter healthcare future.