The healthcare sector is a natural place for scholarship, and a recent UBC scholar project led by Lana Voracek was a welcome addition to our 2024 sustainability work. Undertaken as part of a student placement with the Energy and Environmental Sustainability team, Lana looked at a common challenge facing health care staff interested in advancing sustainable health care within their organizations: where to begin.
This work was identified through the Green+Leaders program, where individuals reached out to the Green+Leaders Lead, Nina Akhtar, with inquiries on how to get started on their journey or specific resources in their area of interest. Recognizing the need for a cohesive, one-stop place to address these requests, Lana’s project was proposed to fill this gap. Throughout the project, Lana was mentored by Nina Akhtar, who provided guidance and support in shaping the research and resource development process.
To address this, the research goal was to identify gaps in existing sustainable health care education in Canada and to create a database of educational resources to support people who are becoming newly involved in sustainable healthcare.
Lana’s work included in-depth interviews and a meticulous review of online educational resources. These efforts culminated in the creation of a database designed to serve as a centralized repository for educational tools and materials, specifically tailored for professionals new to sustainable health care practices. As part of this effort, Lana also produced a report titled Mapping the Landscape: An Environmental Scan & Gap Analysis of Educational Opportunities in Sustainable Health Care, which provides a comprehensive analysis of the current educational landscape and highlights key areas for growth.
The project was driven by a clear need: while many health care workers are eager to embrace environmental sustainability, they often lack the foundational knowledge and resources to do so effectively. By mapping the current educational landscape and highlighting areas in need of improvement, we can now pursue opportunities to expand and deepen the knowledge base where it is most needed.
The resulting database—currently an internal resource pending further organization and consolidation—has the potential to evolve into a public tool that will facilitate collaboration and knowledge-sharing among health care professionals. With a planned release in the future, the database is poised to become a valuable asset for those committed to advancing sustainable practices within the health care sector.
As health care organizations continue to prioritize environmental sustainability, initiatives like this UBC scholar project are paving the way for transformative change. By systematically identifying educational gaps and creating accessible resources, Lana’s work offers a promising model for future efforts aimed at integrating sustainable practices into everyday health care operations.
