Forté’s Sustainability Superstars

The saying goes there’s no such thing as a bad idea, and it’s that kind of thinking that drives the success of Forté’s Sustainability Committee.

“You don’t become New Zealand’s first net carbon zero hospital by being scared of new ideas.  You’ve got to think differently and consider any idea, as it’s that out-of-the-box thinking that can drive some of the most successful sustainability initiatives,” says Patryk Szczerba, Forté’s Sustainability Coordinator.

Since its inception, Forté Health has had a Sustainability Committee. It’s made up of representatives from various parts of the business including admissions, ward day stay, recovery, theatre, and the finance and quality teams. Meeting every second month, the purpose of the committee is to ensure that sustainability is considered at all times, throughout all aspects of the business.

“Since the idea of Forté was conceived, sustainability has been at its heart. With healthcare responsible for 4.4% of the world’s global emissions*, we knew we had to work differently and think creatively to ensure Forté works in a way that’s good for our people and our planet. The Sustainability Committee is part of that forward-thinking approach,” says Patryk.

The Sustainability Committee overlooks the implementation of various sustainability initiatives, investigates opportunities for improvements in sustainability, and supports the wider Forté team to implement Forté’s Sustainability Strategic Plan.

Examples of initiatives implemented thanks to the Sustainability Committee include the purchase of reusable sterilisation crates (reducing the reliance on single-use sterilisation wrap), the removal of single-use sauce pottles from patient meals, and a reduction in paper waste thanks to a review of processes and the resulting uptake in electronic stamping of documents.

Forté Health CEO Rachel Hillyer says the people that make up Forté’s Sustainability Committee have incredible enthusiasm and zest for what they do.

“There is no aspect of the business that escapes their gaze as they’re looking for where we can achieve more sustainable outcomes, and their support and encouragement of staff to engage with our sustainability initiatives is tremendous. They’re an incredible asset to the Forté team,” says Rachel. 

*Based on a 2019 report by global organisations Arup and Health Care Without Harm.