Intro: The following SHSMD Podcast is a production of DoctorPodcasting.com.

Bill Klaproth (Host): On this edition of the SHSMD Podcast, we have another SHSMD Connections preview as we talk about how communications can advance environmental sustainability to create a greener tomorrow, right? This is good stuff. You might think sustainability communications, what are you talking about? Well, I'm telling you, sustainability, really important one. It can save your healthcare organization a lot of coin, I'm telling you right now. Plus it can help provide better health outcomes-- everybody wants that-- and just a ton of other things. And we're going to tell you how communications can help that and get behind that and help build awareness and make that happen. So, let's get to it right now.

This is the SHSMD Podcast, rapid insights for healthcare strategy professionals and planning, business development, marketing, communications, and public relations. I'm your host, Bill Klaproth. And with me is Kara Brooks from the American Hospital Association, and Bryan Kawasaki from Providence. They will be presenting at this year's SHSMD Connections Conference October 12th through the 14th in Dallas. Make sure you get yourself registered as soon as possible if you're not already. They're going to take a deep dive into how communications can advance environmental sustainability initiatives and create a greener tomorrow. Kara and Bryan, welcome.

Kara Brooks: Thanks for having us, Bill. This is really an exciting opportunity.

Bryan Kawasaki: Yeah. Thanks, Bill. Really appreciate you hosting us.

Host: Kara and Bryan, thank you so much. We're very much looking forward to your session at SHSMD Connections coming up this fall in Dallas. Kara, let me start with you. So, why is sustainability of focus for healthcare organizations?

Kara Brooks: That's a great question, Bill. We're seeing that sustainability has become an increasingly important priority for healthcare organizations, and this is really driven by a few different factors. Probably one of the most important or one of the most immediate benefits is that of improved operational efficiency. And interestingly enough, we've been improving hospital operation efficiency for decades. This is things like long-term cost savings through energy conservation, waste reduction, recycling programs, and even some sustainable procurement practices.

I think another really important factor is that sustainability strategies can enhance resiliency and emergency preparedness, which is really top of mind these days. Whether it's an emergency of a hurricane, a flood, or a fire, we've seen that need for increased resiliency and preparedness. And the way that sustainable practices can really help with that is there's a couple really good examples.

One would be renewable energy sources and them providing the backup power during power outages. There's also supply chain disruptions that are problematic. And we've all seen that with IV bags and other shortages. And so, we've seen hospitals get creative with using local sourcing for things like their food. There's also, I think, it's really important to point out the clear connection between the environmental health and human health. As we look at, in environmental health particularly and poor air quality, we understand that that really contributes to respiratory and cardiovascular disease. And adopting sustainability practices can help healthcare organizations reinforce their mission to protect and improve the human health.

The last thing that I'd like to point out, one of the drivers for healthcare organizations focusing on sustainability is around patient staff and communities becoming more environmentally conscious. We are seeing organizations that lead in sustainability and what they're doing is they're strengthening their reputation through doing this, attracting top talent and really building that deeper community trust.

Host: Well, it seems like with sustainability, it's all on the positive side. Obviously, this is good for the bottom line and good for better patient outcomes. So, it really seems to make sense. Bryan, let me ask you this. How can communication teams then help advance sustainability initiatives within a healthcare organization?

Bryan Kawasaki: Yeah, thanks, Bill. I mean, communications teams do play a vital role in advancing sustainability efforts, right? I mean, this takes different forms, but shaping awareness, fostering engagement, and really just driving meaningful action. From my perspective, one of the most foundational pieces of sustainability efforts is providing education and information around this work, right? Like where communications teams can help build understanding through internal campaigns or by providing training materials that explain sustainability goals and practices to employees and stakeholders who might not be as plugged into these initiatives.

At the end of the day, environmental sustainability is a team effort. If the organization is not moving in concert with one another, sustainability efforts are really going to fall flat. And I think that's where communications can really be a driving engines for this work. As communicators, we're used to influencing through storytelling, and that's where, in my opinion, our biggest impact can come. So, whether we are highlighting opportunities to participate in sustainability efforts such as like reducing waste or car pooling to work opportunities or reporting on success stories, like launching a recycling program or installing EV Chargers, communications really does play an essential role in organization's ability to build culture, connect employees to this work, and really achieve environmental stewardship goals.

Kara Brooks: I totally agree with you, Bryan. I think all of those are super important factors. I think it's also essential that we look at transparency and how communication teams really contribute to that transparency, whether it's through reporting progress in newsletters or dashboards or public relations efforts. It also helps build trust and accountability around the sustainability goals as we are transparent.

I think that the communications, those teams also play a role in encouraging behavior change. And this could be things like nudges around signage or reminders or some themed campaigns that promote sustainable habits across that organization. And finally, communication teams help align sustainability with the organizational values. And this can be done as reflection of the brand and the mission and the leadership support and delivering a consistent value-driven message. And together, these can all embed sustainability into the culture of a healthcare organization and position them to be leaders in environmental stewardship.

Host: Well, it's easy to see how comms teams can play a valuable role in building awareness for this and telling the story of it. So, that really makes sense. So, Kara, getting buy-in in many things in life, very important. So, what are some effective strategies for engaging internal and external stakeholders in sustainability efforts?

Kara Brooks: Yeah, that engagement is critical to any sustainability program, whether it is internal or external. So, let's start with looking at the internal stakeholders. It's important that we involve our executives early and that that we align them with the sustainability with the broader goals of the sustainability initiative. And one of the reasons for this is that leaders can model the sustainable behaviors and communicate that importance consistently.

It's also important to engage sustainability in a cross-collaborative way. It's not just about facilities management or environmental services, but creating that cross-functional sustainability program really helps to integrate sustainability into everything that we're doing. One of the ways that that is done is through cross-departmental teams that can lead initiatives and gather feedback and really champion those efforts across the organization. It's important that the teams be empowered with resources and authority to make some decisions. The decisions I'm talking about are not things like, "Oh, let's have a major project and put in a green roof." That would not be a decision for sustainability cross collaborative team. But it could be through addressing things like low-hanging fruit. It might be putting signage up for a conference room that says, "When the conference room isn't in use, turn off the lights," or helping the team feel empowered to shut off a large monitor, as an example, that has a stagnant message that has been on for 24 hours a day, seven days a week for seven years, and is just no longer effective. So, they should feel empowered to go ahead and shut that off.

As Bryan had said earlier, education plays a key role in engaging our internal stakeholders, whether that's workshops or e-learning modules, lunch and learns, things like that. But again, we need that cross-collaborative approach to be able to change behaviors. We can also reinforce behaviors through awards or other recognition programs.

I think finally it's important with the internal stakeholders, and we'll get to external here in a second, but with those internal stakeholders to provide a feedback mechanism for them to understand how their efforts are actually impacting the organization. And that one thing that that does is it really builds that trust and reinforces that this is a part of the culture, and that culture is one of continuous improvement.

So, just briefly, I'll get into external stakeholders, you know, this is the broader community. And again, it's transparency. It's having that transparent communication mechanism. And it is key to really being able to engage them, whether that's through sharing sustainability goals or progress or challenges. It could be done through reports or websites. Social media is a great area to do that, and often we use storytelling to make the efforts really relatable to the community. So, that community engagement is really key to the effort. There's some fun ways you can engage the community, whether it's a cleanup day or a tree-planting day. But really, leaning into that relationship is important.

I think, finally, collaborative partnerships is really important, whether that's through regional or national organizations like the AHA and like SHSMD, these organizations provide mechanisms for sharing best practices and scaling that impact.

Host: Yeah, for sure. I mean, hitting the goal and being successful is much easier when you engage all those stakeholders. So, thank you for that, Kara. And Bryan, just very curious, can you share some examples of successful sustainability communication campaigns from Providence or other organizations?

Bryan Kawasaki: Yeah, absolutely. For Providence, one of our biggest wins was just being able to coalesce our environmental sustainability efforts under the WE ACT framework, which is that WE ACT is an acronym for Waste, Energy, Agriculture and Food, Chemicals and Transportation. And it's just been a brand that has people really gravitate toward, honestly, and have supported, I think, for a number of reasons, right? It's simple, it's memorable, and it really breaks this sometimes really complicated work into pillars people can understand and relate to, even though it is a high-level framework.

After we launched WE ACT, we made sure to embed it into just about everything we produce, right? From like our environmental and social impact report to our data scorecard that tracks emissions across the entire organization, even like teams backgrounds and email signatures and community events. And yeah, I mean we even launched a suite of products with the WE ACT name attached. So, it really has been a brand that has permeated our environmental stewardship efforts and has helped create a culture conducive to achieving our goals. So, that really was a big success for us, although, Kara, I know you probably have a ton of great examples from other organizations across the country who have implemented some really compelling and creative campaigns.

Kara Brooks: Yeah. There's definitely some good examples, but I will say hats off to you, Bryan, because I've seen the t-shirts, I've seen the jackets and all kinds of other ways that that WE ACT brand is coming out. Just thinking about a few other organizations that have really had those strong communication efforts.

One of them I think about is Kaiser Permanente. They really became a leader in communicating their own sustainability efforts. They did a campaign called A Healthier Tomorrow Campaign, and it shared the stories about its transition from renewable energy, waste reduction and sustainable food sourcing. And what they did is they used videos and infographics and patient-centered messaging that connected environmental health with community and the well-being, and really reinforced that mission to improve total health.

Another one that comes to mind is Gunderson Health. I think they're a great example. This work has been in place for many, many years for them. They went ahead and used a public-facing sustainability page to communicate their achievement goals. Interestingly, Gunderson became the first in the U.S. to achieve energy independence back in 2014, so over a decade ago, but they continue to share their updates on their renewable energy projects, their energy conservation, their recycling initiatives. And they've reported that in 2024 alone, they have saved $5.7 million in energy costs. And that is a figure that is great to highlight that the financial benefits of their efforts.

Host: That is amazing, 5.7 million. I mean that's real money we're talking about here and especially in kind of a turmoil that we're in right now, considering potential shrinking budgets, that is a big cost savings and that money saved can be used in other areas. So, great examples, Kara. Thank you for sharing those.

And Bryan, so we've mentioned storytelling a couple of times here and you were just talking about the A Healthier Tomorrow Campaign from the Cleveland Clinic and how they used storytelling, sharing stories to get the message out. Let's dive into that a little bit deeper. Bryan, can you share how storytelling and then earned media can be used to influence broader change across the industry?

Bryan Kawasaki: Oh, definitely. So, a little bit of background about me is I lead national PR for Providence. So, this might be a long-winded answer. I have a lot of thoughts around this, but storytelling and earned media really are powerful tools for driving broader change in healthcare, right, and in particular, in advancing environmental stewardship efforts.

A lot of it comes down to humanizing the story we're trying to tell, right? Sharing real stories of patients and staff or communities who have experienced the positive effects of sustainability efforts is really impactful, and it makes it more relatable, which is paramount if we're going to be able to successfully cut through people's own individual biases. So, these narratives help connect sustainability to everyday experiences and outcomes and really reinforces its relevance, but going a step further.

Highlighting individuals or teams who are leading sustainability efforts is another effective approach in terms of showcasing a recycling program. And I'll give you Providence-specific examples, but a recycling program that led to more than 400 pounds of plastic recycled in its first month or an LED lining retrofit that saved nearly $4 million, right? And we'll have long-term cost savings as time continues to go on. These stories not only boost morale, but it also inspires others to act, just like I had mentioned beforehand, right? It takes all hands on deck type of effort to make tangible change. But from like a storytelling perspective, using visuals and multimedia efforts like videos and infographics and photo galleries, like as we know as communicators, these elements make stories more engaging and easier to share.

 I think Kara really hit the nail on the head earlier though. I think it's so important to frame sustainability as a natural extension of the healthcare mission. We're all here to protect health, to save lives, and really care for future generations. So if you can tie your environmental sustainability efforts to this core message and align it with the values of the organization, that really helps. When it comes to things like amplifying reach and credibility, working with your local media or industry media is huge, right? So, pitching stories to healthcare trades, local news outlets, sustainability-focused media, these can all help spotlight achievements like launching the Solar Energy Project or receiving the Sustainability Award, like Practice Green Health. News stories bring that third party validation. And quite honestly, I mean, it brings a certain level of legitimacy to this work. And then, also, we want to make sure that we're providing data, which again adds credibility and demonstrates measurable impact.

Lastly, like thought leadership opportunities are also huge when it comes to storytelling, right? Doing op-eds or executive interviews and like respected outlets really helps position organization as a leader in sustainable healthcare, which obviously not only elevates the organization's profile, but contributes to shaping the broader conversation around sustainability in the industry.

Host: Yeah, that's another important factor, that thought leadership, as you mentioned, Bryan, that's really important. I love how you said, sharing real stories of the positive benefits and outcomes of sustainability campaigns, and then framing sustainability as part of the healthcare mission. I love that. That really makes a lot of sense. So, people might be wondering, how do we measure this stuff? So, what tools or frameworks can communication professionals use to measure the impact of their sustainability messaging?

Bryan Kawasaki: Yeah, great question. I mean, that's what we're always asking ourselves, right? It's like how do we measure the impact of our work? And just like with everything else, I think it depends on the situation. But in broad terms, all of our typical key performance indicators are applicable here, which includes things related to engagement, like email open rates, or social media interactions.

But the interesting thing about environmental sustainability is you can look at behavioral changes, right? Like, is there increased recycling at your hospital, or reduced energy use? These indicators really do provide a snapshot of how audiences are responding to sustainability communications.

But beyond that, yeah, like digital analytics, right? Tools like Google Analytics or social media insights, email marketing dashboards, these are all great. And then, Karen mentioned getting survey, sending out surveys, getting that feedback is also huge, right? Pre and post campaign surveys are great tools to measure shifts in awareness or attitudes. While something like a quick pulse survey could give you more of that timely insight how messages are landing. But I think if you are able to take these tools, it's so important to try to measure how your messages are landing because not only does it help you assess the here and now, but it really does guide future communication strategies.

Host: Yeah, I could see where all of that could help you understand it better. Certainly, the surveys where you can learn how it is impacting and how people are perceiving it, and how you can change and modify as you go along. So, you mentioned some pretty big names in the examples, you and Kara, Kaiser Permanente, Cleveland Clinic, Gunderson. For a smaller healthcare organization, small independent hospital, let's say, how can these smaller or resource limited organizations begin building a sustainability communication strategy, Bryan? Give us some thoughts on that.

Bryan Kawasaki: Yeah, I mean, I think you have to take a similar approach to any organizational imperative, that, you know, if you're a one-man band, or your team is only a few people, right? I think the key is to really start with a clear focus message that highlights just one or two priorities, right? If we're talking about environmental sustainability, maybe it is reducing waste or conserving energy and then connect those efforts directly to health and patient care. Keep the message simple and meaningful and help build understanding and support. But to do so, like you don't need to reinvent the wheel here, right? Leverage the communications tools you already have, maybe it's a staff intranet or digital boards throughout the hospital, or newsletters or your social media platforms. These are already vehicles of communications that you're probably already using. Leverage that for environmental sustainability.

And then the other thing is, even if you are just a one-person communications team, identify passionate staff members to serve as sustainability ambassadors who can really help make a big difference. These individuals can help spread the message, share success stories and really inspire others to get involved. Like at Providence, we have dozens of green teams, located throughout our organization who champion this work. So, don't feel like you have to do this by yourself.

The foundation of a strong strategy is really just a simple, actionable plan that uses storytelling and visuals to bring sustainability efforts to life. Share stories from staff or patients who support the initiative. Those stories can help make the message more relatable and powerful. So yeah, I think that's where smaller teams really need to focus in on.

Host: Yeah. Start small like you said. It doesn't have to be a massive campaign. Start small. Have a clear focus message that even highlights one or two objectives that you're working on. So, I think that's really smart, for sure. So, Carol, let me ask you this, and Bryan, you too, I'd love for you to chime in on this. If you could each look into your crystal ball that I know you have right there with you, look into your crystal ball. What trends do you foresee in the intersection of healthcare sustainability and communication? Carol, let's start with you.

Kara Brooks: Yeah. So, that intersection is evolving quickly. We're seeing a number of trends just come into play here. One shift that we've seen is-- and we've already talked about it a few times here today-- is connecting that community health with the environment. Healthcare organizations, we're seeing them increasingly use messages that empower patients and community to take a personal and a collective action that reinforce the idea that a healthier planet supports healthier people.

Another trend falls into integrating behavioral science into communication strategies. And behavioral science can really assist with communication strategies. A great example of this that I think we have to think about, this is not a trend that we're seeing coming. This is the trend that we've seen, has to do with recycling. We've already talked a little bit about the recycling. We've talked a little bit about behavior change, but I think recycling and seeing how that has evolved through time is an interesting one. Because sustainability is a huge subject, it has many different factors, that we've already been talking about.

And one of the things that we've seen with recycling is people no longer necessarily talk about throwing something in the trash. They talk about throwing it in recycling, whether it's their sparkling water that's in a can, that becomes their focus. And one of the reasons. For that is that taking that can and putting in recycling makes them feel like they're doing something.

So, I think with the intersection between health and communication and sustainability, really leaning into that behavioral science and those impacts and empowering the people to do what they feel is right. Digital tools, as Bryan mentioned, are also playing a larger role, whether it's mobile apps or patient portals. We're seeing some of them being populated with sustainability tips. We see the messaging in all industries, whether it's airlines or automobiles or whatever. But really, leaning into that and leaning into those portals that allow for that. We've already talked about social media as being a great space for storytelling and really engaging the audience in a relatable way.

Bryan Kawasaki: Yeah. And another important piece of it too, Kara, is data-driven storytelling, right? Which it's not necessarily a new trend. But when it comes to environmental sustainability, it's so important to be able, like you mentioned, to show caregivers, show leadership the impact of their efforts. It helps with transparency. It helps keep morale up. And healthcare organizations are really leaning into that, using real-time data to communicate progress on sustainability goals. And that Providence, I mean, same thing. We have our WE ACT scorecard, which like I mentioned, it tracks emissions across our organization. And it's been a game-changer for us.

Whenever we have communications that go out, like we try to leverage those numbers, really show caregivers through data what's happening. And I also think sustainability is increasingly being positioned as a core part of organizational identity. Health systems are aligning their sustainability efforts with their mission, with their values, and really their commitment to patient care. So, using sustainability as a brand pillar that reflects both efficiency and responsibility.

Host: I really like that brand pillar thought, Bryan. When I think of sustainability right now, I don't think of somebody using it for branding, but hearing both of you talk about this, I can see where it really could become a brand pillar and you organize your mission and value around sustainability and how those all fit together. So, that really, really makes sense. So Kara, this world, you know, people want transparency, how can communication leaders prepare for the growing demand for transparency in environmental stewardship?

Kara Brooks: Yeah. And I think we've talked about a few times today, but it really is key. And environmental stewardship, having that transparency, that transparency is key. And we have talked about transparency numerous times today. It really is rooted in this clarity and credibility and this ongoing engagement that needs to happen. And communication leaders are really a big part of that. It's an open communication, it's sharing successes, but it's also sharing challenges and lessons learned along the way. And then, it is also clearly articulating your sustainability goals. These could be financial goals. We've already talked about how Gunderson reported in 2024 that they saved $5.7 million in energy costs. That is a great financial goal that they were able to share. It could be operational efficiency targets. It could be helping to understand the entire organization to have this shared understanding of the direction that they are going. Using those transparent and measurable metrics. It could be energy consumption, waste reduction, water conservation, really enforces the accountability and it allows the stakeholders themselves to track progress. So, I think that engaging staff, patients, community members, everyone in the process really fosters a sense of ownership and collaboration, and it makes sustainability a shared responsibility.

I think about a story when I think about that shared responsibility. A few years ago, I was out to dinner with my daughter and her best friend who I'd known for decades, and we were having conversations. And she was in med school and she was talking about the hospital and things. And at one point she stopped the conversation and she said, "Kara, I have to ask you. I feel silly for doing this, but what do you do?" And I kind of explained what I do with sustainability at the American Hospital Association. And she said, "I'm so glad you are doing that." She said, "We waste so much in the OR."

And I think there are two key takeaways there. The first is that she was talking about recycling and waste. And she was equating all of sustainability to that one priority. The other thing she was doing is saying, "I'm so glad you do that." She didn't take that ownership or that shared responsibility. And so, I think that that's a great example of why we need to have that shared goal, that shared responsibility. I think that that would encourage and ensure some consistency in accuracy and messaging. One thing we can do is train our internal communicators and provide them with templates and provide them with message guides. I know her well and she very interested in this type of work. Had she had some of that messaging guide, I think it might've helped her to understand what her organization was actually doing beyond worrying about the waste in the OR. It would've really equipped her, and her teams across the organization to speak about it confidently and cohesively and really hone in on the organization's values and communicating those values in a more effective way.

Host: Well, having a messaging guide really can help get everyone on the same page and they can help share the sustainability message as well. Is that right?

Kara Brooks: Yeah, that's right. And really reinforce that trust and that alignment with the organization values.

Host: Yeah, absolutely. Well, this is going to be a great session at SHSMD Communications in Dallas this year. Both you and Bryan are going to be presenting. Before we wrap up, one last question. I'd love to just get final thoughts from each of you on your session and on sustainability. Bryan, let's start with you. Anything else you want to add?

Bryan Kawasaki: Yeah, I think a lot of times communications professionals can feel like you could be echoing work that's already been done, but especially when it comes to environmental sustainability and stewardship. Communicators play such a vital role, a driving role in this work, especially as Kara just mentioned, right? We're all in this together. And so, it takes all of us to take ownership and communications/ and when you're talking about behavioral changes and influencing change, there's no better tool. Storytelling is one of the strongest ways to achieve these goals. So, I think as this work becomes more important or more of a focal point for organizations, communicators should really think about leaning in and seeing how they can really support these initiatives.

Host: Yeah. Well, I hope people do lean in because what you're doing is really, really important. And Kara, how about you? Final thoughts?

Kara Brooks: Yeah, I just echo everything that Bryan just said, but I will say that I think our session will be really interesting. And I'm really looking forward to building off of some of the topics that we've talked about here today and sharing more examples and being there for questions and answers too from our audience.

So, I think it's going to be a really good session. I think it's a great way to engage SHSMD's community overall and also to share ideas on how communication can really help with organizations, whether it's their brand or their mission alignment.

Host: Absolutely. That is for sure. Well, the session is called, It Takes a Comm-Unity. See what they did there? It Takes a Comm-Unity. See what they did there? I like it. How Communications Can Advance environmental sustainability Initiatives and Create a Greener Tomorrow. Kara and Bryan, thank you so much for your time.

Kara Brooks: Thanks for having us, Bill.

Bryan Kawasaki: Thanks for having us, Bill.

Host: You betcha. And once again, that is Kara Brooks and Bryan Kawasaki. Kara and Bryan, they're going to be there. Make sure you get registered now. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and please hit the subscribe or follow button to make sure you get every episode, which is chockfull of goodness. And to access our full podcast library for other topics of interest to you, visit shsmd.org/podcasts. This has been a production of DoctorPodcasting. I'm Bill Klaproth. See ya!