Building Design Boosts Human Well-Being.

Health care is one of the largest service industries in the U.S. economy, representing approximately 17 percent of the gross domestic product, according to World Bank data.1 From an environmental perspective, the average health care facility uses more energy than other commercial buildings, produces millions of tons of solid waste annually and utilizes various cleaning chemicals and hazardous chemicals that affect wastewater effluents and air emissions. As a result, a substantial opportunity exists for health care to have a positive impact with environmental sustainability initiatives. Catholic health care, of all industries, should be leading the charge. Catholic social teaching calls us to cultivate and care for our environment from an ecological perspective and from a human perspective. The Pope’s encyclical, Laudato Si’, challenges all of us to be mindful of environmental challenges and proactive in the shaping of the future of our planet. Catholic health care organizations specifically have the chance to be change leaders while publicly demonstrating their commitment to caring for God’s creation. There is an opportunity for the current definition of sustainability to be expanded beyond technical materials and methods that protect natural resources to include a holistic approach supporting and improving human health. The concept of human sustainability can be a center point for all health care building design. Built environments can support physical, mental and social health and well-being. Understanding the correlation between the built environment and human behavior is essential to understanding and improving population health outcomes. For example, Americans spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors. Consider the typical staffing patterns within acute health-care organizations — most clinical staff work 12-hour shifts, placing them indoors for the majority of the workday. Three of the top ustainability is the capacity to endure; it is how systems remain diverse and productive to minimize environmental and financial impact so that resources or products are available for future generations. Sustainability also can be a collection of policies and strategies organizations employ to provide competitive advantage. Environmental sustainability initiatives can include energy reduction strategies, solid waste and hazardous waste initiatives, healthy chemicals usage, healthy food, procurement and built environments. Building Design Boosts Human Well-Being