NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue Anesthesiologist Dr. Kenneth M. Sutin Named to Crain’s 2025 Notable Leaders in Sustainability

NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue Anesthesiologist Dr. Kenneth M. Sutin Named to Crain's 2025 Notable Leaders in Sustainability

Dr. Sutin was recognized for his work on the Fresh Gas Flow Project, reducing nitrous oxide use at Bellevue Hospital by 97% and cutting annual anesthesia-related carbon emissions by over 5,000 metric tons throughout the public hospital system

At Bellevue Hospital alone, the project eliminated 2,362 metric tons of carbon equivalent emissions annually and saved more than $50,000 in procurement costs

Dec 08, 2025

NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue today announced that Dr. Kenneth M. Sutin, Associate Chief of Service in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care & Pain Medicine and Director of the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit at Bellevue Hospital, was named one of Crain's New York Business 2025 Notable Leaders in Sustainability, which honors professionals advancing sustainability across sectors for driving meaningful progress toward a cleaner, more equitable future. Dr. Sutin launched the Fresh Gas Flow Project in 2022, to monitor the environmental, health, and financial impacts of gas leaks in the Bellevue Hospital's central nitrous oxide systems. The Project has reduced the use of nitrous oxide at the hospital by 97%, and has led to a 52% annual reduction in anesthesia-related carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) emission in anesthesia practices systemwide. Nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide, can persist in the atmosphere for over 100 years.

"Dr. Sutin's leadership is shaping the future of sustainable health care," said NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue Chief Executive Officer Eric Wei, MD, MBA. "His work demonstrates that Bellevue Hospital is a home for innovative clinical practice that can improve patient care, reduce environmental impact, and advance our commitment to a healthier, more equitable city. We are incredibly proud to see his achievements recognized."

"I'm deeply honored by this recognition, which reflects the outstanding collaborative work of our anesthesia teams and partners across NYC Health + Hospitals," said Dr. Sutin. "It affirms that patient safety, high-quality care, and environmental stewardship are not competing priorities. They stand as a unified mission."

In 2022, Dr. Sutin launched the Fresh Gas Flow Project, analyzing 113,401 anesthetics across NYC Health + Hospitals. While automated advisories modestly reduced fresh gas flow, the most transformative impact came from deactivating central piped nitrous oxide (N₂O). This intervention reduced N₂O use by 97%. At Bellevue Hospital alone, it eliminated 2,362 metric tons of carbon equivalent emissions annually and saved more than $50,000 in procurement costs.

His research revealed that nearly 96% of Bellevue's nitrous oxide was lost through systemic leakage, creating almost four times the carbon emissions of all anesthetic gases used across 11 NYC Health + Hospitals facilities.

"Once we understood the magnitude of the problem, we deactivated Bellevue's central piped nitrous oxide in favor of portable tanks at the anesthesia machine," said Dr. Sutin.

Under Dr. Sutin's leadership, the hospital's anesthesiologists, dental, and gynecological clinicians have lowered Fresh Gas Flow rates, time, and use of volatile agents. The team at Bellevue Hospital also implemented a Fresh Gas Flow Project best practice advisory in the Epic electronic medical records system that automatically prompts clinicians to reduce fresh gas flow rates after anesthesia induction. The best practice advisory launched across the public health system's EMR in January 2024.

Systemwide, NYC Health + Hospitals has achieved a 52% annual reduction in anesthesia-related CO₂e emissions, driven largely by deactivation of central N₂O and optimized use of anesthetic agents. NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, Elmhurst, Jacobi, and North Central Bronx have fully deactivated central nitrous oxide systems. These changes have reduced more than 5,000 metric tons of CO₂e, equivalent to removing approximately 1,100 gas-powered cars from the road.

Dr. Sutin is a nationally recognized leader in sustainable anesthetic practice, clinical education, and systemwide quality improvement. A physician for more than 33 years, he has served at Bellevue Hospital since 1992 and is a Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. He leads the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit at Bellevue, directs medical student education for NYU Anesthesiology, advises medical students and residents, and serves as Faculty Director of the Ether student group. At NYC Health + Hospitals, he chairs the Anesthesia Council Epic Subcommittee and advances sustainability and cost-saving initiatives across the nation's largest public health system.

Dr. Sutin, a biomedical engineering graduate of Case Western Reserve University, received his medical degree from New York Medical College. He completed a residency in anesthesiology and a critical care fellowship at NYU School of Medicine. Dr. Sutin is a member of the Sustainability Sub-Committee of the New York State Society of Anesthesiologists and is a Fellow of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, the American College of Chest Physicians, and the American College of Critical Care Medicine. He has been a dedicated educator, mentor, and advocate for innovation, equity, and sustainability in clinical care and medical training for more than three decades.

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MEDIA CONTACT: Bellevue Public Relations, 212-562-4516;

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NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue
NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue is America's oldest public hospital, established in 1736. Affiliated with the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, the 851-bed hospital is a major referral center for highly complex cases, with 6,000 employees including highly skilled, interdisciplinary clinical staff. The hospital is a Level 1 Trauma Center and annually it sees about 103,000 emergency room visits, and more than 520,000 outpatient visits. Clinical centers of excellence include: Emergency Medicine and Trauma Care; Cardiovascular Services; Bariatric Surgery; Designated Regional Perinatal Center and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit; Children's Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program; and Cancer Services. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org/bellevue and follow us on Facebook and X (Twitter).

About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest municipal health care system in the nation serving more than a million New Yorkers annually in more than 70 patient care locations across the city's five boroughs. A robust network of outpatient, neighborhood-based primary and specialty care centers anchors care coordination with the system's trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agency, and MetroPlusHealth-all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 46,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.