Green ICU Collaborative

 

Our mission is to provide an unparalleled ICU patient experience while identifying and promoting medical practices that make life-support systems more sustainable, reducing the waste produced during care, and using energy-efficient technologies in critical care units.  

Our Purpose

Houston Methodist ICUs treat over 29,000 patients annually, giving us a profound opportunity to reshape the future of critical care medicine. One such area for improvement is our impact on the planet.

Health care accounts for 10% of our nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. Within health care, intensive care units (ICUs) are “carbon hot spots,” emitting enough daily greenhouse gas emissions to rival driving a car over 62 million miles.

ICUs are also large producers of medical waste, especially single-use items. A 2024 research study found that just one Houston Methodist ICU used 1,464,262 medical supplies in a six-month period.

Caring for one ICU patient per day can result in approximately:

 

  • 108 disposable gloves
  • 57 compresses
  • 24 syringes
  • 16 disposable gowns
  • 9 surgical masks

 

Thus, the Houston Methodist Center for Critical Care established the Green ICU Initiative in 2024 to reduce systemwide ICU carbon emissions and waste. Following the principles for reduce, reuse, recycle and repurpose, our goals are met by:

 

  • Optimizing patient length-of-stay
  • Reducing excessive resource use
  • Reusing equipment when possible
  • Maximizing recycling
  • Research and innovation

Houston Methodist is Leading the Green Health Care Movement

 

While health care sustainability has been an established focus in other countries, Green ICUs are in their infancy in America. Our team is filling our nation’s knowledge gaps through research and innovation.

 

A 2024 research article published in Critical Care by Dr. Masud and colleagues shares experiences from Houston Methodist’s Green ICU Initiative. The article also proposes a three-step pathway to overcoming health care sustainability challenges.

 

Additionally, state-of-the-art projects, such as our systemwide virtual ICU (vICU) program, continues to show potential for low-carbon emissions without compromising patient safety and quality of care.

 

In line with our I CARE values; Houston Methodist is proud to be at the core of the green health care movement. Learn more about how the Center for Critical Care and Office of Sustainability are supporting Green ICU Initiative projects.

 

Green ICU Initiative- Research and Publications:

 

 

Events and Conferences

 

 

 

Contact Us

Should you have any questions, please reach out to our Green ICU Initiative team.

Donate to Houston Methodist

With your support, Houston Methodist provides exceptional research, education, and care that is truly leading medicine.

Donate Now