IU Health receives sustainable healthcare certification from Joint Commission

In early 2025, the Sustainability department set its sights on a prestigious benchmark in healthcare sustainability: the sustainable healthcare certification from the Joint Commission. Recognized globally as a leader in quality improvement and patient safety, the Joint Commission has only awarded this certification to 24 organizations - until now. In late September, IU Health became the 25th organization to earn this distinction. IU Health is one of only 10 health organizations nationwide that has this certification for every hospital and is the only healthcare system in Indiana to achieve this honor. Dennis Murphy, IU Health president and CEO, attests that the certification "...validates the hard work our team members have done to make IU Health a more sustainable organization. These efforts will result in both better health outcomes for our patients and operational cost savings that will help us achieve our vision.”

Read more about the certification here.

How did IU Health earn the sustainable healthcare certification?

To earn the sustainable healthcare certification, members of the Sustainability team participated in a three-day virtual survey. During this process, they demonstrated executive leadership support, shared greenhouse gas emissions and showcased sustainability performance across IU Health Methodist Hospital, Riley Hospital for Children, IU Health Fishers Hospital, IU Health Bedford Hospital, IU Health Jay Hospital and IU Health Arnett Hospital.

What sustainability initiatives have been implemented so far?

The sustainable healthcare certification is the crowning achievement in a standout year for sustainability at IU Health. In 2025, the Sustainability team launched several impactful initiatives:

• Eliminated exam table paper in pediatric offices, resulting in increased cost savings, improved operational efficiency and reduced environmental impact.
• Replaced Styrofoam cups in the cafeteria with compostable alternatives, cutting CO2 emissions by 24 tons and saving 83 cubic meters of landfill space annually.
• Donated five semitrailers of hand sanitizers for community repurposing, diverting 48 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions from the environment.
• Upgraded the lab courier fleet with hybrid vehicles, including seven plug-in hybrids and three fully electric vehicles.