HealthPartners takes stand on climate change, joins national council
HealthPartners has joined a national council of health systems advocating for action on climate change.
The U.S. Health Care Climate Council lobbies for expansion of renewable energy and other climate change actions that would also result in health benefits, such as reduced air pollution.
HealthPartners is the first Minnesota-based organization to join the council, said Dana Slade, who directs sustainability programs for Health Partners.
"It means that we're taking a stand and have shown that this is an important aspect of not only our sustainability program but it ties in very nicely with our mission," he said.
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Slade said climate change poses a range of health threats, from a longer allergy season to heat stress to the spread of vector borne diseases.
He said he hopes the system's membership will allow it to "compare notes across the organizations on things that we could do and things that we have done. For instance, there's a big focus on purchasing renewable energy as organizations across the country."
Slade said HealthPartners has committed to purchasing 20 million kilowatt hours of solar electricity through community solar gardens each year. That's enough electricity to power more than 2,000 Minnesota homes in a year.
He said HealthPartners has been working on several programs to reduce energy use, cut down on waste and purchase local foods.
HealthPartners is also part of the Minnesota Sustainable Growth Coalition, which is looking for ways to embrace the concept of a circular economy.