Rx for an ailing Earth

Healthcare is taking on a bigger role in environmental sustainability, for the good of patients, the bottom line, communities — and the planet.

Michael Menzel, MD, has seen lots of changes over his 32-year career as an anesthesiologist. Many were positive. But one, not so much. “I watched the transition from reusable equipment in the operating room to disposable, and it was just striking how much garbage is created per surgery. That kind of lit this light bulb in me. I said, we’ve got to figure out a way to do this better.”

Menzel has spent much of his career doing just that — and mobilizing other healthcare professionals to do so, too. In 2014 he co-founded Health Professionals for a Healthy Climate.