Renske Karens-van Vliet is working as a Care Ambassador for sustainability and greening in healthcare. This theme has been chosen by the Care Ambassadors as one of the four most important challenges in healthcare in 2022. 'For a whole year we are trying to get movement on this theme from this think and do tank', says Renske. 'Healthcare is responsible for as much as 7% of CO-2 emissions. The climate crisis is going to have a big impact on healthcare. What can we do to accelerate the transition towards sustainability?'
Each year, sixteen ambitious healthcare professionals address the most important issues in healthcare. The Care Embassy is supported by many partners, including VWS. The group's first idea was to scale up three best practices in healthcare. The Green Lab project from the Máxima Center was chosen as one of the three best practices to investigate. In research, a lot of plastic packaging is used. Researchers from the Máxima started a project to recycle the waste with the help of a 3D printer. A wonderful initiative. Students from Utrecht University investigated, together with health care professionals, how this project could be scaled up to the health care sector. This turned out to be not so simple.
Measuring = knowing
The research showed that there are actually no figures on how much plastic waste actually enters the center. Without insight into the facts, it is difficult to reduce the plastic waste mountain. The Logistics Department has now taken a zero measurement to map out the plastic waste streams. On 2 June, Renske Karens will present the results of the baseline measurement during the signing of the Green deal for healthcare. Just a hint: there is still much room for improvement at the Princess Máxima Center.
Hackaton
The ambassadors are now going to try a different approach. They will interview ten influential managers in healthcare about the most important barriers and opportunities they see for making the transition to sustainability in healthcare. In October, during Science Week, the group will organize a hackaton around the most important issue they could solve. What if we as hospitals collectively set goals about material entry? That less packaging or a "take-back" agreement is achieved? Can we legally enforce that? Can we use less plastic?’
Innovation
In addition to being a healthcare ambassador, Renske Karens is also chair of the Nursing Advisory Board, program leader for nursing vision and Chief Nursing Information Officer. ‘In all my roles at the hospital, I am focused on innovation. I'm curious to see how things can be improved. I think sustainability is an important topic because I know that children worry a lot about their future. It can't be right that on the one hand we do everything to cure children and on the other hand we don't take good care of the planet where children still have a whole life ahead of them. The common thread in everything I do is that I want to challenge and equip nurses for all the changes in healthcare.’
Green employer
‘Nurses by nature have great problem-solving skills. It's great to see them use this power on all sorts of fronts. For example, Renee Veltkamp and Aafke de Vries have started a pilot in the Mill department to separate waste at the patient level. The Green Team at Máxima challenges everyone to work greener and to come up with ideas. Together, let's set the bar high. Younger generations demand a green employer. It is also desirable from a labor market perspective that we take this very seriously.’
On 2 June, Gita Gallé will sign the Green Deal for healthcare on behalf of the Princess Máxima Center. The Máxima Center is committed to the four goals of the Green Deal:
- Reducing CO2 emissions
- Working on a circular basis
- Less medicine residue in the water
- Healthy environment in health care