June 2025 - HealthCareMaster HealthCareMaster

GREEN HOSPITAL: HEALTHCARE THAT RESPECTS THE ENVIRONMENT

June 6, 2025 Federica Sorrentino

In a world increasingly focused on sustainability, the healthcare system is also called upon to play its part. This has led to the emergence of the Green Hospital concept—an innovative vision of hospitals and healthcare facilities not only as places for healing individuals, but also as champions of environmental protection and promoters of holistic health.

Green Hospitals stand out for their adoption of eco-friendly practices and management strategies aimed at reducing environmental impact, optimizing the use of natural resources, promoting energy efficiency, and encouraging sustainable behaviors. Environmental sustainability in healthcare is no longer an option, but a collective responsibility that translates into concrete and measurable actions.

Key initiatives undertaken by Green Hospitals include:

Designing buildings with low environmental impact;
Using renewable energy and smart systems to manage consumption;
Reducing medical waste and implementing circular economy practices;
Promoting sustainable mobility for both patients and staff;
Employing safe, eco-friendly materials;
Selecting suppliers who comply with minimum environmental criteria.

The Master’s programs in Healthcare at the University of Parma actively promote a culture of sustainability within the healthcare sector. The curriculum combines topics such as healthcare organization, risk management, technological innovation, and environmental economics, preparing professionals who are equipped to face current challenges and design more sustainable structures and processes.

Being a healthcare professional today also means actively contributing to a care system that respects the environment, prioritizes climate justice, and fosters well-being for future generations. Green Hospitals represent a new paradigm, where health is measured not only in clinical terms but also in relation to the balance with the ecosystem that sustains us. This vision is strongly supported by the University of Parma’s Healthcare Master’s programs, which are committed to training mindful, innovative, and responsible professionals.

ONE HEALTH: AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO GLOBAL HEALTH

June 4, 2025 Federica Sorrentino

In recent years, the growing interconnection between human, animal, and environmental health has led to a fundamental paradigm shift in public health and the training of health professionals. It is within this context that the One Health approach has emerged and gained strength, promoted by the World Health Organization (WHO), the FAO, the OIE, and other international institutions, as an integrated response to global health challenges.

One Health is a strategy that recognizes the inextricable link between the health of people, animals, and the environment. The rise in diseases transmitted from animals to humans, the emergence of new infectious threats, antimicrobial resistance, climate change, and biodiversity loss have highlighted the urgent need for shared, cross-sectoral health policies.

The One Health approach aims to:

foster collaboration among physicians, veterinarians, biologists, nurses, environmental scientists, and public health professionals;
integrate data and knowledge to prevent, detect, and respond promptly to complex health threats;
promote sustainable policies that protect ecosystems and improve the health of both human and animal communities.

In line with these goals, the Healthcare Master’s programs at the University of Parma promote multidisciplinary training based on an integrated public health model, aware of the interrelationships between health, environment, and society.

Adopting the One Health model means not only responding to current crises but also building a culture of prevention, sustainability, and global solidarity. For future health professionals, being trained with this vision is a strategic choice as well as an ethical responsibility. In a world where everything is connected, caring for health means caring for the world we live in.