Operating Room Cost & Pollution Reduction Case Study

Operating rooms are the most resource-intensive space in any hospital — driving 20–33% of hospital waste and a disproportionate share of energy and supply chain costs — making them the highest-leverage target for reducing both operating margin pressure and emissions. A recent pilot study at a multi-specialty academic medical center ASC with ten ORs and ~11,900 annual cases found $250K–$588K in annual savings even from a strong sustainability baseline of LED lighting, renewable electricity, and existing device reprocessing, meaning facilities with less mature starting points can typically expect even greater returns.