Kai Abelkis

A “culture of sustainability” at Boulder Community Hospital saves the facility about $650,000 annually.

As the hospital’s sustainability coordinator, Kai Abelkis is the “face” of the program. He oversees the hospital’s recycling program (and its work to become “zero-waste,” meaning nothing generated at the hospital would go to the landfill) and its focus on using less energy. He looks for ways for the hospital to use fewer petroleum-based products and calculates savings.

A cleaning and sterilization machine used on every tool in the operating room is perhaps one of the most interesting purchases the hospital has made while Abelkis has been in charge of sustainability. The machine, along with reusable containers to store instruments, saved the hospital an estimated more than $150,000 in hard costs. Calculations are based on the hospital’s previous use of “blue wrap” plastic, and how much it cost to store and wrap the instruments, and throw away the plastic, Abelkis said.

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“There’s a real movement in the industry to reduce waste,” Abelkis said. “And we make all decisions with regards to the patients’ health and safety.”

Lower heating and cooling costs, energy-efficient light bulbs and xeriscape landscaping that uses less water than traditional sod have created savings of about $450,000 of the total $650,000 saved, Abelkis said.

“It is a humble and profoundly joyful experience,” he said, “to work with Boulder Community Hospital on sustainability to lead the growing choir of health-care providers around the world to recognize that sustainability is good business practice.”