Employees who believe they can make a direct social and environmental impact through their job report higher satisfaction levels, according to a Net Impact survey. Attracting and retaining the top talent in clinical care, research and education is a priority for the medical center. Acquiring top talent allows us to accelerate the pace of discovery, quickly translate research findings into treatment and prevention methods, and ensure that we have well-trained and engaged health care providers in the years ahead.
- One way for faculty and staff to make a direct impact is through the Green Team, a group of volunteers who support sustainability initiatives throughout the organization. The Green Team was created in 2018 and now has more than 800 employees eager to make a difference.
- Over 40 department leaders participate in the Sustainability Council by leading sustainability initiatives within their respective departments and participating in monthly education and information-sharing calls.
Wexner Medical Center nurses fight climate change
At the Outpatient Surgery Center, nurses spearheaded a sustainability project to make their building operate in a more sustainable way. They implemented reusable tubs to replace single-use plastic bags for patients to use to store their belongings during operations, collected socks to donate back to the community, and were the first pilot site for the clinical plastics recycling efforts. These efforts were featured in the first episode of Here in Nursing, the Ohio State podcast for nurses.
Faculty, staff and leaders celebrate Earth Day
To celebrate Earth Day 2022, the medical center, in collaboration with Chadwick Arboretum and Learning Center, distributed nearly 1,000 native tree saplings for faculty and staff to plant across campus and central Ohio. This helps achieve the larger goal of carbon neutrality while engaging our community directly with the environment. As a symbol of our commitment to trees and sustainability, leaders also planted a bur oak on Earth Day.