Environmental Impact

Our Pledge

Baystate Health has Pledged to Cut our Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Half by 2030 and Go Completely Carbon Neutral by 2050

Baystate Health envisions a future where our planet has healed from the impacts of climate change and our population is healthier and happier. Consistently evaluating our Environmental Impact will help us reduce our effect on the environment and increase our resiliency to climate change. Creating more sustainable and eco-friendly practices will not only minimize our ecological footprint but work towards environmental conditions that are conducive to holistic patient care while fostering a better quality of life for all.

With the effects of climate change looming, the United States healthcare industry is responsible for 8.5% of total greenhouse gas emissions. As a healthcare system, we want to minimize our role in those emissions, knowing that declining environmental conditions contribute to poor overall health and health outcomes. Baystate Health is committed to becoming more eco-friendly in our day-to-day practices while also operationalizing larger-scale, system-wide sustainability efforts designed to reduce our emissions and increase our capacity to handle climate change. From purchasing sustainable products and tracking our waste to building a cogeneration plant and upgrading our fleet of vehicles to electric, Baystate Health is working steadily toward a greener, healthier future.

Sustainability Efforts

Here are just a few of the ways Baystate Health is working towards increased sustainability and net-zero emissions:

• Analyzing the feasibility of a solar canopy on the parking garage at our corporate headquarters
• Electrification of thermal loads for heating and cooling
• Developed baseline greenhouse gas data for Baystate Health to serve as a comparison and measure the impacts of projects
• Tracking and education around our waste stream and proper use of receptacles throughout the hospital
• Incorporating green design into construction projects
• Increasing sustainable purchasing of products, food, furniture, and services
• Push for reductions in water usage through data tracking
• Transitioning fleet to hybrid vehicles
• Spreading awareness and educating community members about this issue

We've also developed key partnerships within the sustainability space, including Practice Greenhealth, Health Care Without Harm, Energy Star, and Mass Save®. Baystate Health has already received awards for our work in sustainability: Practice Greenhealth’s Environmental Excellence and Partner for Change Awards and the 2022 Mass Save® Climate Leader Award.

Meet Our Sustainability Team

Ariana Walker. Sustainability and Energy Coordinator

Ariana Walker joined Baystate Health as the sustainability and energy coordinator in January 2023. In her role, Ariana will help Baystate Health reach its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 and net zero by 2050.

Her team is housed in Facilities and Engineering, where she works closely with professionals throughout the healthcare system to develop opportunities for energy efficiency at our hospitals and health centers. Our vision is that this becomes a part of everyone’s lives and that employees and patients at Baystate Health take pride in the work that we are all doing to better our environment. 

Ariana has hit the ground running in her role, and under her guidance, Baystate Health will work towards a greener future.

Dave Brown, Vice President, Facilities, Planning, and Engineering for Baystate Health

Since joining Baystate Health in 2018, Dave has worked across the system to leverage economy of scale through service contracting, energy purchases, talent development and standardization of operations and maintenance management systems, and Environment of Care documentation. Dave has overseen the development and execution of Baystate’s Master Facility Plan and led the teams that designed and built a variety of major capital projects.

Dave and his team are working to make Baystate’s infrastructure more resilient to support clinical operations into the future as well as reduce Baystate’s greenhouse gas emissions through conservation, cogeneration of electrical and thermal energy, energy storage, building system optimization, solar development opportunities and power purchase agreements of clean energy. 

A Look at Baystate Health's Sustainable Facilities

• Cogeneration System & Utilities Management Plant: combines heat and power for increased efficiency and reduced emissions
• Dedicated utility feeder: increases compacity to carry electricity from a substation to service areas
• Reconfigured electrical infrastructure and utility interconnection: eliminates the need to manage internal loaders between two utility feeders, automatically swaps over to a backup as needed, provides power to a significant portion of Baystate Medical Center in the event of complete utility failure, and allows the hospital to act as an area of refuge for the community in a catastrophic event
• Emergency diesel generators: contains 96 hours of fuel for critical loads
• Upgraded chilled water production plant: provides increased chiller capacity, pumping redundancy, and operational flexibility
• 2 MW battery: creates access to planned stored energy during periods of high demand that strain the utility grid
• Electrification of thermal loads: Baystate Health is developing a strategy to replace steam heating systems with highly efficient electric heat pump technology, eliminating the need for fossil fuel combustion in stationary boilers