Not long ago we shared with you the ESTeam had created working groups to maximize efficiency. Since then the groups have met, discussed their plans and established their visions and goals for the future.
The four working groups are Waste, Food, Communications & Education, and Measurement & Evaluation. Let’s hear a bit more about what they hope to accomplish.
Waste Working Group
Team Leads: Karmen Wong and Leyla Khosrovpour
They intend to:
Align with PHC values and strategies to become a world leader in waste management while improving patient and staff experience/satisfaction by creating a green and clean environment with a smaller environmental footprint. They are focused on helping to preserve and protect the unceded, traditional, and ancestral lands of the Coast Salish people – and in particular, the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) where we are fortunate to live and work.
Steps to get there include:
- Finalize their first project focused on replacing disposable hand sanitizer bottles with refillable options.
- Divert paper waste i.e. paper towels, by having two trash bins at hand washing stations, one for paper waste that goes to compost and another for landfill waste.
- Educate themselves, staff, patients and visitors about waste management initiatives and their positive environmental impacts.
- Encourage all staff to participate in reducing their carbon footprint.
Food Working Group
Team Leads: Dr. Eileen Wong and Ramses Prado
They intend to:
Be a catalyst for change in relation to food and health care focusing on food as medicine, sustainable food choices and reducing food waste.
Steps to get there include:
- Encourage a sustainable food system across the organization.
- Deliver quality food with nutritional value to all of the populations we serve in such a way that considers the economic, socio-cultural and environmental factors within the realities of the health care system.
Communications & Education Working Group
Team Lead: Suzan Lee
They intend to:
Maintain efficient and effective communication to PHC staff of the goals and activities of the ESTeam while supporting and raising awareness of working group projects through the creation and implementation of a communications and education strategy.
Steps to get there include:
- Liaise with ESTeam working groups to communicate and support their activities and goals.
- Work with other groups to assess current knowledge levels of sustainability at PHC and develop methods of measuring success for communications and education initiatives.
- Identify, create and promote educational materials and learning opportunities.
Measurement & Evaluation Working Group
Team Leads: Theresa McElroy and Aggie Black
They intend to:
Embed measurement and its application to continuously drive us towards PHC’s goal of being a public health care sector industry environmental sustainability leader.
Steps to get there include:
- Facilitate ESTeam working group processes to identify relevant metrics and targets for their areas of focus while advising on appropriate evaluation, research methods, data collection and reporting.
- Connect working group metrics and targets to other key PHC, regional and provincial goals.
- Establish partnerships with researchers who have shared interest in areas of focus.
- Liaise with other organizations including other health organizations to obtain best practices for measurement methods and environmental stewardship.
Does the above sound interesting?
We’re always looking for more people to get involved and help us move the dial on sustainability at PHC.
If you think you might like to support one or more of the initiatives outlined above, please join us for the next ESTeam meeting on October 17. Full details are available in the connect calendar and RSVP is required.
