Part of Inova's mission is to protect the health of the diverse community we serve. But in doing so, we create a variety of downstream health impacts stemming from the resources we use, the products we purchase and the waste we create.

Inova’s alternative transportation strategies contribute to healthier air quality, benefitting the health of our patients, visitors, team members, communities and our environment. Popular modes of alternative transportation utilized by Inova team members include carpooling, taking the Metro or bus, biking or walking, and teleworking. What we've been up to lately: Bike to Work Day/Commuting Challenge - This year, we challenged team members to try a different form of transportation during the month of June. Many team members joined the challenge and submitted selfies as evidence!

Energy Efficiency Inova believes that energy conservation is vital to community health as reductions in energy use results in less air pollution, contributing to better health outcomes.

Healthy Buildings Evidence-based building design, deliberate selection of construction materials, and green building operations can all have a beneficial impact on the healing environment. At Inova, the pursuit of environmentally friendly buildings ensures that we’re not only protecting our patients and team members, but also investing in our future. Inova adheres to the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification guidelines for new buildings and major renovations.

Sustainable Foods Inova provides our patients, team members and visitors with healthy food choices while supporting the production efforts of local farmers. We are proud to be a leading system in this focus area! The main focus of our sustainable food program is to promote local, seasonal and sustainably-produced foods. What we've been up to lately: Inova CSA - Our CSA is available to both team members AND community members! Inova partners with local farmers to deliver fresh produce/fruit/meat/dairy directly to your door or to one of 5 Inova locations.

Team Member Engagement A healthcare system of our size is a massive operational endeavor. The sustainability team works across the system to establish policies and programs in support of environmental and public health. We need team members’ help to implement these programs, to be change-makers and to provide feedback on issues and future programming. You are the best person to incorporate sustainability into your unit, department or office. Here are a few great ways to Go Green at Inova:

Waste Management Inova's Office of Sustainability focuses on the proper reduction, reuse and disposal of waste. We are a large hospital system with a large, complex waste stream. Major accomplishments include: Recycling - Recycling is the cornerstone of any waste management program. Inova provides single-stream recycling to every unit in its facilities.Have questions about recycling in your department? See our FAQ below! Reprocessing - Inova reprocesses many tons of medical devices annually for future reuse.

Inova is committed to accurately and transparently reporting on our sustainability impacts, opportunities and goals. We do this primarily through our annual Sustainability Report. 2020 Sustainability Report Highlights: Inova's Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) initiative delivered over 5,000 bags of local sustainable produce to team members. Our food composting pilot at IFOH continued forward, diverting 22 tons of cafeteria food waste to productive uses. We hosted sustainability open houses in January 2020 at all Inova hospitals to inform team members about our initiatives.

When a patient at Inova Fairfax Hospital has dermatologic concerns during a hospital stay for another condition, Inova Teledermatology Program can provide a private and secure real-time video assessment and consult with a community dermatologist. This real-time collaboration or store-and-forward capability makes it possible for a hospitalist at Inova Fairfax Hospital to remotely connect with community dermatologists. The outcome is quick, efficient access to a dermatologist and proper treatment protocols to help improve patient care.

Inova's most fragile young patients have access to pediatric intensivists 24/7 via the Inova Telepediatrics program's real-time, two-way video consults. Inova Telepediatrics Program provides collaboration between Inova emergency departments and the Inova Fairfax Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Emergency medicine clinicians remotely connect with pediatric intensivists for faster access and proper treatment protocols to help improve patient outcomes.