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The selected healthcare setting is a local hospital, Jackson VA Hospital.

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The health setting provides healthcare services to US veterans. War veterans can assess care services in an enabling environment that address their specific and diverse care needs. The hospital is composed of various departments which include pharmacy, nursing, surgery and the emergency departments. The employees include federal and state healthcare professionals as well as volunteers in the various departments. The organization engages in operation activities focused on addressing and improving the healthcare of veterans living within its vicinity.

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The selected sustainability initiative is Energy Efficiency.

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Data will be collected from the selected healthcare organization and other hospitals within the area for comparison. Healthcare professionals will also be interviewed to understand the current situation in the facility in regards to energy efficiency. Also, I will utilize data from the State Health Department to determine how the organization compares with other hospitals within the State.

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Improving the energy efficiency of the health setting will enable the healthcare provider to cut down on healthcare costs which this providing opportunities for improving the quality of healthcare services offered in the hospital. Improving energy efficiency is not only a concern of the leadership but also the employees and patients within the facility as argued by González-Briones et al., (2018). As such, the mission statement for sustainability is focused on creating awareness to all the stakeholders about the need to conserve energy in addition to providing directions on how to realize the conservation. Therefore, the sustainability mission statement for the health facility is “To be a leader in energy efficiency through the implementation of sustainable energy conservation strategies focused on improving healthcare outcomes for the Jackson VA Hospital and the whole healthcare industry”. To realize the desired success, it is crucial for the healthcare professionals, the patients as well as all the other relevant stakeholders to understand what is required of them to realize the mission. Realizing the mission requires all the stakeholders to incorporate the desired sustainability strategies to increase energy efficiency for the hospital.

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Setting goals and objectives for the initiative is crucial to ensure that the hospital has a road map that guides the development and implementation of effective strategies for improving the facilities energy efficiency. To begin with, it is expected that healthcare professionals will be the leaders in implementing sustainability strategies. The move will ensure that they can demonstrate to the other stakeholders such as patients, the importance of the sustainability mission statement as argued by Capion et al.(2015). The result is that they will be able to work collectively to realize the common goal of reducing energy costs within the healthcare organization. The contribution of the individual stakeholders will results to reduce energy consumption for the whole healthcare organization. 

The mission statement will also influence the leadership of the healthcare organization to incorporate sustainable strategies in the organization’s supply chain. This will ensure that proper choices are considered when purchasing equipment that consumes electricity or any other form of energy. The statement will enable the decision-makers to give priority to those equipment or machines that have been rated energy efficient. The result is that the hospital will be able to reduce the capital expenditure on such purchases while at the same time keeping energy costs at a minimum in the short as well as the long run. 

The hospital has been on the news regarding the poor quality of care compared to other hospitals within the state. Utilizing the mission statement for sustainability will enable the leadership of the hospital to invest in renewable energy sources to supplement the power from the grid. For instance, solar panels can be installed to provide an alternative clean energy source that will be utilized to reduce the demand for power from the grid, especially when the demand is on peek and more expensive (Fleiszer et al., 2015). Redesigning the hospital to enable nature room aeration will reduce reliance on air conditioners thus cutting down on the associated power costs. As such, the healthcare organization will be able to save on money that can be reinvested into its healthcare activities to improve the quality of care and patient experience. This will enable the hospital to level up with the other healthcare providers within the state in regards to the sustainability and delivery of quality healthcare services. 

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Campion, N., Thiel, C. L., Woods, N. C., Swanzy, L., Landis, A. E., & Bilec, M. M. (2015). Sustainable healthcare and environmental life-cycle impacts of disposable supplies: a focus on disposable custom packs. Journal of Cleaner Production, 94, 46-55.

Fleiszer, A. R., Semenic, S. E., Ritchie, J. A., Richer, M. C., & Denis, J. L. (2015). The sustainability of healthcare innovations: a concept analysis. Journal of advanced nursing, 71(7), 1484-1498.

González-Briones, A., Prieto, J., De La Prieta, F., Herrera-Viedma, E., & Corchado, J. (2018). Energy optimization using a case-based reasoning strategy. Sensors, 18(3), 865.