Innovation in data and tracking for environmental stewardship

[6 MIN READ]

In this article:

• Providence is a leader in driving improvements through data to support bold environmental stewardship initiatives and goals.

• Innovations in data and tracking methods within the Providence WE ACT framework distill massive amounts of complex information into accessible metrics that prompt action. 

• Providence is committed to sharing our data collection and tracking success stories to encourage environmental stewardship within the global health care community.

Providence has committed to reducing all the pollution we can by 2030, as we work toward carbon negative emissions. Toward this aim, Providence created the WE ACT framework, which outlines our carbon mitigation work through the five biggest buckets of pollution our organization produces. WE ACT is one of three pillars of our environmental stewardship initiative. 

Using the WE ACT framework our environmental stewardship team, in collaboration with The Providence Global Center, collects, tracks and organizes complex data for easy consumption. Our Providence community uses this data to make informed decisions, already resulting in significant greenhouse gas reductions.  

Understanding the WE ACT framework

Providence’s WE ACT framework identifies five key sources of health care pollution.

• Waste: Our goal is to divert more than 50% of our total waste by 2030. Waste optimization assessments highlight opportunities to reduce waste and maximize recycling.
• Energy & Water: Data keeps us on track to purchase 100% renewable electricity by 2030 and know where to dedicate time to energy and water-saving technologies.
• Agriculture & Food: We can track problems (such as food waste) and solutions (such as composting) and calculate impact.
• Chemicals: Anesthetic agents are potent greenhouse gases. Actionable insights from data have resulted in a 55% reduction in emissions from inhaled anesthetics.
• Transportation: The data we collect helps us reduce travel-related emissions through projects such as electrifying fleet vehicles and remote work initiatives.

The role of data in environmental stewardship

Data is the foundation of our environmental stewardship program. With data, we can establish reference points, create action plans, track progress and make intelligent predictions. Providence collects usage and cost data from 155 elements within the WE ACT framework. This treasure trove of information allows stakeholders to examine efficiency metrics and calculate greenhouse gas emissions.

We know users don’t have time to analyze the immense amount of complex data we collect, which is why we developed the WE ACT profile. Within this profile, data is broken into 10 key elements:

• Carbon emissions
• Engagement
• Waste
• Electricity
• Thermal energy
• Water
• Food
• Nitrous oxide
• Anesthesia
• Business travel

“One of the learnings we’ve had is data can be quite overwhelming for people if they’re not in it every day,” says Roopa Rangaprasad, executive director of product management and leader of the WE ACT scorecard development team.

The WE ACT profile gives users a quick snapshot of hospital performance along with target metrics. You can opt to see actual values or easily navigate a color-coded grid. Each hospital has a WE ACT profile score. This score initially serves as a baseline. As it changes over time, users better understand what pollution reduction tactics are working and where more focus is needed.

The data serves as a powerful tool to drive improvements, allowing us to identify projects with the biggest impact at the lowest cost to more efficiently work toward our goals. Showing carbon and financial savings clearly and accurately helps us convince health care leaders worldwide that environmental stewardship work isn’t just the right thing to do for the planet, it also makes good business sense.

Innovations in data and tracking methods

To consolidate the vast amount of data we collect, Providence developed the WE ACT scorecard, which evaluates data collected systemwide from hundreds of vendors in various formats. Vendors submit data through an application programming interface (API), a stored file shared with multiple parties or Excel spreadsheets. 

The WE ACT scorecard was developed and is maintained at our Providence Global Innovation Center in Hyderabad, India. Employees build applications that capture resource use, cost and carbon emissions related to Providence’s 51 hospitals. 

“It’s very complex data that we are working with,” Roopa says. “It’s also constantly changing, and that’s what makes working with this data difficult. It’s also exciting. We are able to draw a lot of insights through what we are getting because we are going into a lot of granular detail.” 

Consider waste optimization. Every month, the WE ACT team tracks the pounds of waste generated at each hospital from 20 different waste streams. Roopa says this data helps leaders better understand what kinds of waste are being produced, how much waste is being produced, the amount being sent to landfills, the amount being diverted from landfills, the amounts recycled and composted and more.

This information is compiled into one metric, the waste optimization percentage, allowing users to quickly and easily monitor progress over time.  

Users of the WE ACT scorecard have access to all hospital data across the organization. This visibility promotes action, and often friendly competition between sites. Members of the WE ACT team can reach out to a site that has room for improvement in a specific area of WE ACT and connect them to another site that has experienced success in that area. 

“It allows people to have great conversations,” Roopa says. “With this information, leaders can ask, ‘Why is this happening? What can we do to reduce?’”

As an example, Roopa recently met and shared WE ACT profile scores and insights with CEOs from various Providence ministries. She says leaders were amazed that she could provide specific details on energy efficiency related to HVAC systems over several years.

“We are also able to create true comparisons by providing normalizers across multiple sites,” Roopa says.

Normalizers include things like square footage or the number of full-time employees, allowing hospitals of different sizes to be compared to each other. Comparisons allow site leaders to visualize possibilities and jumpstart projects with a history of success at other sites.

Driving change with data

WE ACT data has served as a springboard for dozens of initiatives that have led to successful carbon emission reductions. Consider nitrous oxide use efficiency. After reviewing data, Providence began decommissioning nitrous oxide and eliminated pipe systems in new buildings, using portable cylinders instead. In some cases, this resulted in reducing gas loss by 99%. A decarbonization value analysis of anesthetic agents helped caregivers identify additional opportunities for improvement. By monitoring data throughout this process, the WE ACT team now knows that most sites have achieved their goals for this element.

New projects like waste optimization in operating rooms are always in the works.

Operating rooms generate a lot of waste. Everything taken into a surgical room is disposed of at the end of surgery. When a surgeon joins Providence, they detail how they intend to run their surgeries and what specific equipment and materials they require. This information is documented on a surgical preference card, and, in the past, these cards were not often updated. The WE ACT scorecard provides a better understanding of what is being used and how waste reduction strategies may be helpful.

The WE ACT team is also exploring ways to better analyze data to make predictions.

“So far, we’ve been talking about the past: Here’s what happened at your site, and here’s potentially why it happened,” says Roopa. “How do I start telling them, if you continue at this rate in the next five years, this is what your emissions are going to be? Then, how do I predict cost? Is there a way for us to reduce that cost? Are there some actions that we can take right now?”

A wealth of knowledge to share

Our vision is Health for a Better World. With that in mind, Providence prioritizes modeling environmental stewardship by sharing our data tracking initiatives with partners in the health care sector. As we transform our organization to combat climate change and promote environmental justice, we ask our health care neighbors to do the same.

“We believe the results that we have gotten have been incredible enough that we want to play a leadership role,” says Roopa. “We have a fairly open website that has also been created so people can access case studies on how they can begin this journey.” Visitors can learn more on the Providence Center for Environmental Stewardship Tools & Resources page. 

Roopa, who grew up in India, says families naturally used their own containers to buy fresh milk and took their own bags to the grocery. 

“It was extremely satisfying to be asked to lead this project,” says Roopa. “It’s something that I’ve practiced personally, but to be able to add this professionally is incredible. To see the impact that we are having, to know that we’ve already reduced tens of thousands of tons of carbon emissions, to share with other companies — the impact is huge.”

Contributing caregiver

Roopa Rangaprasad is executive director of product management and leader of the WE ACT scorecard development team in Hyderabad, India.

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Related resources

Climate justice is a health issue 

Caring for our common home: Environmental stewardship at Providence

Curbing carbon emissions with efficient and renewable energy

This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always follow your health care professional’s instructions.