About Kevin Zacharyasz, Director of Healthcare Sustainability
Kevin Zacharyasz is the Director of Healthcare Sustainability at The Joint Commission. In this role, he serves as a thought leader on healthcare sustainability and leads initiatives across healthcare segments globally to support The Joint Commission’s mission and growth objectives around sustainability. Mr. Zacharyasz collaborates with other industry leaders to implement processes and technologies that aid in the reduction of a healthcare organization’s carbon footprint, as well as other environmental factors that impact patient health and safety.
Mr. Zacharyasz has been a leader in the sustainability field for over 10 years. His professional career has focused on a holistic approach to sustainability advisory services in energy, waste management, air quality, water conservation, and environmental justice. His career has intersected with a range of stakeholders including healthcare, utility companies, government entities, residential, commercial, and industrial sectors.
Previously, Mr. Zacharyasz was the Sustainability Program Manager for Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, MA. Earlier, he served as the Director of the Energy and Sustainability Program at the Ohio Hospital Association (OHA) where he managed the nation’s only state hospital association run energy and sustainability program. Mr. Zacharyasz guided over 240 hospitals and 15 health systems in Ohio to provide resources and funding opportunities to support energy and sustainability decision-making. He also facilitated the association’s Environmental Leadership Council. Under his leadership, OHA received multiple awards, including the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Sustained Excellence Award and ASHE’s Energy to Care Chapter Challenge Award.
Mr. Zacharyasz holds a Master of Environmental Science (M.En.) degree from Miami University, Oxford, OH, with a focus on policy, planning, and communication.
About Joint Commission International
Joint Commission International (JCI) is a part of The Joint Commission, a nonprofit healthcare improvement organization and the world’s largest healthcare accreditor. With over 70 years of experience, The Joint Commission collaborates with more than 23,000 healthcare organizations and programs across 70+ countries. JCI offers a range of services including accreditation, certification, education, advisory, technology, and publications to help achieve its vision that all people always experience the safest, highest quality, and best-value healthcare worldwide. Visit www.jointcommissioninternational.org for more information.
Medical Travel & Digital Health News (MTDHN): Can you define environmental sustainability in healthcare? Does this impact hospitals only or provider offices as well?
Kevin Zacharyasz (KZ): The best way that I would define environmental sustainability is “looking to meet the needs of the present without hindering the needs of future generations.”
I would say environmental sustainability does impact hospitals and providers. If we’re looking at environmental sustainability in healthcare, it has to involve the entire sector. It’s critical that we all come together as a united community to address it.
Currently, data suggests that the global healthcare sector contributes between 4.4% and 5.2% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. If the healthcare sector were a country, we would be the fifth largest greenhouse gas emitter on the planet.
This is a significant overall health issue because if we support the health of our planet, we’re also contributing to the health of the communities that we serve. By reducing emissions, improving air quality and decreasing waste disposal, healthcare organizations are creating a healthier environment for those nearest to them.
MTDHN: Can you expand upon the Sustainability Accelerator Tool (SAT) assessment of sustainability maturity across three essential domains: • Environmental impact • Health, equity and wellbeing • Leadership and governance?
KZ: First and foremost, we’re excited to officially announce Joint Commission International’s first-of-its-kind, healthcare sustainability certification program in collaboration with the International Hospital Federation’s Geneva Sustainability Center (GSC).
The Sustainability Accelerator Tool (SAT) was developed by GSC and Deloitte. The tool provides a look at sustainability from both a qualitative and quantitative lens. It examines not only the culture of sustainability within the organization and the governance structure of sustainability, but also analyzes the different relevant data points.
Overall, this tool provides a wonderful framework for facilitating conversations between operational staff and executive leadership teams to foster a culture of collaboration and change within the organization.
I think many of us in healthcare sustainability are constantly looking for opportunities on how to translate sustainability initiatives into actionable steps that resonate with the executive leadership teams. The SAT provides the opportunity to do just that – it identifies potential areas of improvement and highlights areas of success.
MTDHN: How long has the SAT been out now?
KZ: The Sustainability Accelerator Tool (SAT) was launched in October 2023 at the 46th World Hospital Congress in Lisbon, Portugal. However, the tool was designed and developed over a period of approximately 1.5 years prior to launch.
MTDHN: How many organizations are currently using SAT?
KZ: Currently, 37 healthcare organizations are using SAT across more than 20 countries, worldwide.
MTDHN: How does the SAT differ from traditional healthcare performance metrics?
KZ: The Sustainability Accelerator Tool consolidates healthcare sustainability metrics into one comprehensive platform. While there are many tools out there that assess sustainability and measure different data points around greenhouse gas emissions, the SAT is unique in that it focuses specifically on healthcare sustainability. It combines both qualitative and quantitative metrics to provide a holistic view of sustainability within healthcare organizations.
MTDHN: How can hospitals improve their efforts to obtain the certification? Can you provide some guidance?
KZ: Absolutely. This past year, Joint Commission International released its 8th Edition of c Accreditation Standards for Hospitals and Academic Medical Centers. Within those standards is the Global Health Impact chapter bringing healthcare sustainability into the accreditation space.
JCI views this as a step to creating a foundation of sustainability for healthcare organizations.
Our goal for the healthcare sustainability certification is to build upon these standards and continue to advance sustainability efforts. This certification encourages hospitals to expand their sustainability initiatives and helps them move beyond and engage in continuous improvement.
MTDHN: Do hospitals need a consultant to step up their efforts to obtain the certification?
KZ: I wouldn’t say a consultant is necessary. The basis of the 8th Edition Accreditation Standards for Hospitals and Academic Medical Centers is that it provides a strong foundational framework to guide hospitals and healthcare organizations to look at sustainability and adopt it within their facilities.
As we move forward with the certification, it’s about building on that foundation and improving sustainability efforts. So, while a consultant might be helpful, it is not essential to obtain the certification.
MTDHN: I see that the certification is open to both JCI accreditation and non-accredited institutions. How do you anticipate this will encourage a broader adoption of sustainable practices both domestically within the U.S. and globally?
KZ: The effects of climate change go beyond borders. It is important that all healthcare organizations – whether JCI-accredited or not – in the U.S. and around the world have access to the tools that promote sustainability.
As of January 1, this year, we released the Joint Commission Sustainable Healthcare Certification on our domestic side. We now have certification available both within the U.S. and internationally.
To mitigate the risks of climate change, I firmly believe that we, as a collective sector, must work together to advance sustainable healthcare while ensuring the best possible patient safety and care. By offering this certification to both JCI-accredited and non-accredited healthcare organizations, we are encouraging collaboration across the healthcare sector to achieve the important mission of reducing healthcare’s overall carbon footprint.
MTDHN: What is the cost of getting certified? Is there a fee to JCI?
KZ: Yes, there is a fee associated with the program and it is determined based on the size of the healthcare organization and country income designation.
International Hospital Federation members qualify for a 10% discount on the certification. These members also receive a 50% discount on their yearly subscription to the Sustainability Accelerator Tool (SAT).
MTDHN: How does this certification help healthcare organizations prepare for and mitigate the health impacts of climate change, both for their patients and their communities?
KZ: Sustainability provides healthcare organizations the opportunity to become more climate resilient. By optimizing the different resources needed to provide safe, quality care, healthcare organizations are given the best possible ability to successfully manage the impacts of climate change.
In addition, JCI’s mission is to continuously improve the safety and quality of care in our international communities through education, advisory services and international accreditation and certification. However, we know that climate change disproportionately effects marginalized communities throughout the world. Through this certification, we want to ensure that all communities, regardless of location, have equitable access to a healthy, sustainable and resilient environment.
MTDHN: Do you think that hospitals are they taking the lead in this whole movement and setting an example for other stakeholders in a way?
KZ: I believe that to move sustainability forward, we need champions in every organization—not just hospitals, but also pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers and a wide range of other stakeholders across the healthcare industry. It’s a collective effort and every part of the sector must come together to move the sustainability agenda forward.
Hospitals can certainly play a leading role but it’s going to take collaboration and coming together as a collective whole to achieve our shared sustainability goals.
MTDHN: The release mentions that sustainable practices can lead to operational efficiencies and cost reductions. Are you able to provide any specific examples or case studies where healthcare organizations have already realized these benefits through sustainability initiatives?
KZ: Absolutely. With over 10 years of experience in the sustainability sector, I have seen a wide range of examples and case studies of sustainable practices leading to operational efficiencies and cost reductions.
On the energy side, a great starting point is to “right-size” a healthcare organization’s equipment to ensure that it’s operating at optimum efficiency and to limit any excess energy usage. From there, creating energy efficiency upgrades – such as LED lighting, efficient HVAC equipment, looking at building management controls, exploring renewable energy – can further push energy efficiency forward.
On the waste management side, it is important to explore what materials are being disposed of and where those materials are going which can lead to improvements in waste contracts. This can not only reduce waste disposal but also reduce the associated disposal costs with the contract.
Another example is with anesthetic gases, such as desflurane and nitrous oxide, which
have significant environmental impacts due to their high global warming potential. Switching to alternatives can greatly reduce a facility’s carbon footprint. Desflurane, for instance, has a much higher global warming potential compared to alternatives and many centrally piped nitrous oxide systems (at no fault to the engineering staff) can actually leak between 75-95% of the gas before it reaches the patient. Therefore, minimizing the use of or altogether removing desflurane and centralized nitrous oxide systems can assist facilities in achieving environmental and financial benefits.
All of these examples can reduce environmental impact and cost savings, improve health outcomes, reputation and community engagement, and enhance regulatory compliance while mitigating risk.
In addition, the money saved through implementing these practices and projects can then be reinvested back into the facility to continue providing the best possible care for patients.