Jesse Brown VA Medical Center has been named the 2022 Climate and Health Innovation Award recipient by Health Care Without Harm’s Health Care Climate Council. The medical center is using an anesthetic sequestering and capturing system that captures the gas for recycling and reuse.
The gas is being shipped to Canada for reuse, while awaiting FDA approval in the United States. In addition to being an early adopter of this technology, the team at Jesse Brown VAMC launched Project CATCH – Capturing Anesthetics Toward Climate Health – to promote more widespread use of this technology for greater impact on climate health.
The award recognizes a hospital or health system for innovative work that addresses the health and equity impacts of climate change. The council reviews award applications, looking for creative approaches to move the health sector forward in ways that have not been widely deployed.