Join ACS Collaborative to Improve Surgical Sustainability

The ACS has launched SUSTAIN: The Surgical Sustainability Team for Action and Innovation, a surgeon-led collaborative under the ACS Quality portfolio, designed to support surgical teams in implementing high-impact, low-barrier sustainability initiatives. These efforts focus on improving environmental performance while generating measurable financial and operational benefits.

Operating rooms are the highest-emitting hospital departments and major contributors to waste. Proven strategies now exist that reduce surgical environmental impact without compromising quality. With growing surgeon interest and aligned goals in quality, safety, and cost-efficiency, surgeons have an opportunity to lead the way.

SUSTAIN supports ACS efforts in the following ways: 

• Embeds sustainability into surgical QI practice
• Offers structured implementation support and peer learning
• Tracks both environmental and financial metrics
• Positions ACS as a national leader in evidence-based surgical sustainability

At this stage, key areas of focus include Tray Optimization, Desflurane Elimination, and Instrument Reprocessing and Remanufacturing. 

The ACS will host several educational webinars to inform interested parties and participants about SUSTAIN. The first is coming in just 2 days, 4:00–5:00 pm on September 18, and will be led by Neelima Tummala, MD, and Benjamin Miller, MD, FACS.

To receive an invitation link for the webinar and learn more about this initiative, surgeons or others interested in a sustainable OR are encouraged to sign up today.