Today marks the launch of the Collective Healthcare Action to Reduce MedTech Emissions (CHARME) collaborative, aiming to slash greenhouse gas emissions from the U.S. medical device and equipment supply chain. The MedTech supply chain contributes to 7% of U.S. healthcare greenhouse gas emissions. Led by the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council in partnership with Kaiser Permanente and Vizient, CHARME aims to fill crucial gaps in existing decarbonization efforts and enhance emission reductions across manufacturing and transportation practices within the MedTech supply chain.
Thirteen organizations, including major health systems, medical device suppliers, distributors, and industry stakeholders such as Advocate Health, Becton, Dickinson and Company, Cardinal Health, and Northwell Health, have already committed to participate, with more joining daily.
Kris Spriano, Interim CEO of the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council, expressed excitement about collaborating with leading participants in the healthcare supply chain to promote best practices for reducing emissions.
Steve Chyung, senior vice president and chief supply chain & procurement executive at Kaiser Permanente, emphasized the organization’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, highlighting the positive impact on environmental and human health.
CHARME will implement insights from the white paper “Catalyzing Collective Action to Decarbonize Healthcare Roadmap for Health Systems and MedTech Suppliers,” published in 2023 by Kaiser Permanente, Health Care Without Harm, and Accenture. This roadmap outlines a 24-month plan for collaborative efforts in renewable energy, product innovation, utilization, transportation, and logistics to achieve emission reduction goals.
Simrit Sandhu, president of spend management at Vizient, expressed their honor in co-chairing CHARME with Kaiser Permanente and their commitment to creating an environmentally sustainable MedTech supply chain. They look forward to collaborating with industry leaders to identify strategies that can enhance human and environmental health.
