Where others saw waste, Dr. Laura Donahoe saw an opportunity.
The thoracic surgeon in UHN's Ajmera Transplant Centre found an innovative way to promote sustainability in the operating room (OR) by recycling copper from used cautery cords, the medical cables that deliver electrical energy to help cut, coagulate and remove tissue during surgeries.
To date, the initiative has diverted more than 1,040 kilograms (2,296 pounds) of the valuable material from landfills since 2020.
"ORs are huge producers of waste, which really contributes to the carbon footprint of the healthcare system," says Dr. Donahoe. She delivers the cords to a local scrap metal yard herself, where the copper is recycled in exchange for money.
Dr. Donahoe and the Green Team reinvest the funds into another sustainability effort — reusable surgical caps for OR staff. Each one is personalized with their name and title stitched into it.
They're not only an eco-friendly alternative to disposable hats, but a means of connection and a symbol of the team's commitment to sustainability.
"It's really a win-win," says Dr. Carol-anne Moulton, Lead of Cognition & Culture at UHN.
The Cognition & Culture team began participating in #TheatreCapChallenge last year, a global health care initiative that aims to improve communication and patient safety by wearing caps with names and titles clearly displayed.
Dr. Donahoe's idea to collaborate with Cognition & Culture on the second round of #UHNTheatrecapChallenge enabled more than 100 new personalized scrub caps to be produced and distributed.
Dr. Moulton feels it's important to continue this initiative to strengthen teamwork dynamics. With more than 250 personalized caps now in the hands of OR staff, she aims to provide at least one cap to every member of an OR team.
"Our previous research showed the importance of knowing each other's names as a way of building trust in the OR," she says. "The Green Team providing more reusable hats helps teams get to know each other."
Dr. Donahoe adds the caps have also helped raise awareness about the Green Team and encouraged others to join.
This reflects UHN's broader commitment to fostering an environment that promotes sustainability, and one where every staff member feels valued and empowered.
"We were trying to do something good to help the team," Dr. Donahoe says. "We thought this would be perfect as a little reward for their hard work, while also strengthening people's desire to be a part of, and support, the Green Team.
"It also will decrease the number of disposable hats people use, help reduce our carbon footprint and put more valuable metals back into the system."
The success of the initiative has inspired other teaching hospitals across the Toronto Academic Health Science Network to adopt similar practices, setting a new standard for eco-conscious health care. It also encourages individual healthcare workers to consider how they can contribute to sustainability in their daily routines.
