Sustainability and green management in hospitals

Abstract

Public sector organizations are also increasingly focusing on assessing the environmental impact of their activities. Sustainable principles in hospitals mean ensuring high-quality, safe, cost-effective care that minimizes negative impacts on society and the environment. Efficiency and rationalization of production resources are essential conditions for sustainable healthcare. The approach of hospitals to sustainability is thus changing. Hospital management is adopting management and strategy development approaches that integrate elements of green management. Despite the growing importance of environmental management in hospitals, this area remains insufficiently researched in the Czech Republic, representing a significant research gap. The article, therefore, aims to map and assess the extent to which elements of green management are used in hospitals in the Czech Republic, focusing on environmental strategy, energy management, and employee training in sustainability issues. The research was nationwide in scope and covered all hospitals in the Czech Republic. Fisher's exact test was used for statistical verification of the proposed hypotheses. The results showed no statistically significant correlation between hospital size and the presence of an environmental policy or strategy. Although hospitals with a defined environmental strategy are more likely to address energy savings, the difference between the groups was not statistically significant. On the contrary, it was confirmed that hospitals with an environmental policy significantly more often and more systematically implement training or education of employees in the area of sustainability.