Eyeworld

FALL 2024 | EYEWORLD | 25 References 1. Chang DF, et al. Survey of ES- CRS members' attitudes toward operating room waste. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2023;49:341–347. 2. Sack TL. "Green" Offices are Healthier: New Analysis. December 2020. mygreendoctor. org/green-offices-are-health- ier-new-analysis. Accessed 1/12/2024. 3. Rocque RJ, et al. Health effects of climate change: an overview of systematic reviews. BMJ Open. 2021;11:e046333. 4. IBM Corporation. Sustainabil- ity at a turning point. May 2021. www.ibm.com/downloads/cas/ WLJ7LVP4. 5. Deloitte Global. 2022 Deloitte CxO Sustainability Report. 2022. www.deloitte.com/global/en/ issues/climate/deloitte-cxo-sus- tainability-report.html. Accessed 1/12/2024. 6. Success Stories: Escambia County Health Department. mygreendoctor.org/profiles. Accessed 1/12/2024. Contact Rajagopalan: archetar@usc.edu EyeSustain are young academicians, practicing ophthalmologists, fellows, residents, or medi- cal students. Our next generation of leaders is already mobilizing to change healthcare. Another easy-to-use and free resource is My Green Doctor, a medical clinic management program that can help any type of outpatient practice to qualify for the impressive Green Doctor Office Recognition Certificate. Register today at www.MyGreenDoctor.org or at www. MyGreenDoctor.es. The "Three Minute Video" will explain how to get started. In a few years, I will be seeking an environ- mentally friendly practice to join. This is one of many reasons for a practice to begin its environ- mental sustainability journey: to begin saving money, to create a healthier community, and to attract the finest young talent to your health- care team. Editors' note: This essay is adapted with permis- sion from MyGreenDoctor.org, the environmental sustainability practice management program. environmentally friendly practice for my career. I will be looking for a practice committed to sustainability and with an ongoing sustainability practice management program. I hope to work with physicians, nurses, office staff, and manag- ers who understand that this is the responsible way to work. My informal survey of my medical school classmates revealed that many share my senti- ments. One student wrote: "Being in hospitals, you are reminded every day of how harmful the practice of medicine can be to the environment. We've implemented so many protocols that pro- duce excess waste that ends up being pollutants. I think the idea of taking measures to make of- fice spaces greener means doing our small part to counteract some of the harmful effects that are intrinsic to our daily work." There are direct benefits to medical practic- es that "go green." Most will save money as they learn to be less wasteful. One multispecialty group has been saving $1,400 per doctor per year by implementing change. 6 Practices benefit from enhanced staff job satisfaction, employee retention, patient approval, and community health outcomes. A part of being a "green" prac- tice is to use teaching tools to share wise choices with colleagues, patients, and families. Lastly, environmental sustainability will give these practices the competitive advantage to attract the best young talent to your practice: smart, compassionate, community-minded doctors. Several free, money-saving resources are available to practice managers and healthcare professional leaders to make their practices more sustainable. EyeSustain offers resourc- es for the needs of ophthalmologists, but all surgeons and proceduralists can benefit from its advice. EyeSustain is supported by a coalition of more than 40 ophthalmology societies world- wide. The EyeSustain initiative offers a model that other specialties can replicate to reduce waste and create new, climate-minded stan- dards of care. Most of the people involved with The seasons were distinct when I grew up; now, we experience deadly summer hot spells, delayed autumns, and warmer winters. It distresses me to see such drastic change in such a short span of time.

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