SBUH Named Among Nation’s Top 25 Hospitals for Environmental Excellence

Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH) has been named one of the top 25 hospitals in the country for its work pursuing environmental excellence. Based on a rigorous scoring system, this award honors success and performance in a range of sustainability programs, including leadership, waste, chemicals, greening the operating room, food, sustainable procurement, energy, water, climate, transportation and green building. As Practice Greenhealth's highest honor for the Partner for Change application, this award recognizes the best of the best in healthcare environmental sustainability.  

Additionally, SBUH's multi-disciplinary efforts on reducing its environmental footprint in various impact areas have resulted in earning the recognition of Circle of Excellence in Waste, Chemicals, Water and Governance and Leadership. The Circles of Excellence Awards honor the 10 highest-performing hospitals in each area of sustainability impact.

"This recognition reflects our belief that sustainability in healthcare is about caring for people - today and for future generations," said Carol A. Gomes, MS, FACHE, CPHQ, Chief Executive Officer of Stony Brook University Hospital. "The connection between environmental health and patient health makes this work both practical and essential. Over the past year, we've made steps toward reducing waste, addressing food insecurity and embedding sustainability more deeply into our operations and culture. This honor reflects the dedication of our teams across Stony Brook Medicine to building a healthier future for the communities we serve."

In 2026, SBUH made meaningful progress across the organization with sustainability goals, including:

• Reducing waste and greening clinical care: Focusing on lowering hazardous and pharmaceutical waste, reducing single-use items, advancing sustainable operating room practices, and increasing medical supply reprocessing.
• Expanding sustainable food and nutrition efforts: Increasing support for food-insecure patients, prioritizing sustainable sourcing, reducing food waste, and exploring composting and recycling initiatives.
• Investing in sustainable operations and infrastructure: Improving energy efficiency through major projects, expanding green campus initiatives, and standardizing environmentally preferable purchasing to reduce waste and improve sustainability across operations.
• Strengthening leadership and accountability: Aligning sustainability goals with strategic priorities, expanding staff education, and increasing collaboration through national initiatives and climate-focused partnerships.

"The healthcare sector is claiming its role as a guardian of public health by refusing to contribute to the problem. Sustainability isn't a side project - it's a core business strategy that drives resilience, saves money and, most importantly, fulfills our mission to heal," said Health Care Without Harm and Practice Greenhealth CEO Emily Bancroft. "The healthcare system of the future - one that heals both the patient and the planet - is being built right here, by institutions like Stony Brook University Hospital."

To learn more about Stony Brook Medicine's sustainability efforts, visit stonybrookmedicine.edu/sustainability.