Collaborative initiative looks to reduce health care’s carbon footprint

Faculty of Dentistry is part of ground-breaking new venture, which involves U of T health science faculties, hospitals systems

A collaborative initiative involving the seven health science faculties at the University of Toronto, as well as the 12 hospital systems of the Toronto Academic Health Sciences Network (TAHSN), have formed a new venture to tackle the carbon footprint related to medical waste.

Called the Sustainable Health System Community of Practice, the venture is co-chaired by Professor Steini Brown, dean of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, and Dr. Joshua Tepper, CEO of North York General Hospital and a professor at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME) at U of T.

“I’m very passionate about this subject as a professional and as a citizen,” says Carlos Quiñonez, associate professor and director of the graduate specialty program in Dental Public Health. Quiñonez is Dentistry’s representative in the initiative. “We all need to be greater stewards of the environment.”

While the goals of the collective involve mainly long term, systemic change in health sciences and practices, Quiñonez has a short to medium-term vision for supporting the collective’s education mandate. He hopes to connect the Faculty’s students, clinicians and alumni to experts in environmental practice management in dentistry.

“I’d like to start by helping a small but growing group of dental practitioners, students and academics build the idea of a green dental system,” says Quiñonez.

Photo: Michael Garron Hospital is one of 12 hospital systems taking part in the collaborative initiative to curb medical waste (Stock)