Largely working behind the scenes, the Environmental Services (EVS), Patient Food Services and Retail Food Services teams at BC Children's Hospital and BC Women's Hospital + Health Centre (C&W) work hand in hand to support the care, comfort and well-being of patients, families and visitors.
In addition to providing cleaning and disinfection of the entire campus, the EVS team manages waste, recycling and laundry, and the Patient and Retail Food Services team provides nutritious meals and snacks to patients in their rooms and in our cafés and cafeteria. With these teams' unwavering commitment to planetary health, it's no surprise that they received the PHSA+ Award for Sustainable Excellence.
C&W colleagues share that the teams have shown incredible dedication and collaboration in reducing environmental impact.
"Led by Francis Canlas, José Morais and Lebert Abreo, the collective spirit within the team is evident in their commitment to reducing waste, conserving resources, and bringing sustainable practices to daily operations," says their award nominator. "The team engages in open dialogue, learning, and collaboration, with a shared passion for making a meaningful difference in healthcare sustainability."
This year, the Food Services teams and EVS team worked together to implement a recycling program, partnering with Return-It BC for a more streamlined process, improving efficiency for food-related recyclables.
"With sustainability in mind, we have swapped out all the paper plates previously being used in patient food deliveries to rooms and we started to recycle all our recyclable containers which roughly amounts to over 7,800 units annually," shares José.
"We've also eliminated 19,000 to 59,000 units of plastic cutlery annually by incorporating more environmentally friendly wooden cutlery, and we've saved 7,300 plastic bags at the cafeteria's Khubz station alone," says" adds Lebert. "In addition, we've reduced the use of paper on several fronts – by installing digital screen menus and by moving from a paper-based ordering system in favour of an online digital platform."
And it doesn't stop there as teams continue to identify sustainability opportunities and work to implement them.
"We are so motivated by all the staff at PHSA and their excitement about planetary health," says Francis. "And we are inspired by our executive leadership team implementing the North Star priorities, supporting us to innovate and change the way we operate to help preserve our world for future generations."
Congratulations to the C&W Environmental Services, Patient Food Services and Retail Food Services teams on their Sustainable Excellence PHSA+ Award!
The PHSA+ Awards are part of an internal recognition program that celebrates teams and individuals who bring our purpose, vision, values and Coast Salish teachings to life in the workplace. They go above and beyond to serve patients and families across B.C.
