Hospitals reduce waste, expand recycling efforts, and support community environmental initiatives
GLENDALE, Calif., April 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Dignity Health, a member of CommonSpirit Health, is advancing sustainability initiatives across California as part of its ongoing commitment to improving both community and environmental health. Guided by a mission of compassion and service, Dignity Health’s sustainability strategy is grounded in the connection between environmental health and human well-being, driving environmental stewardship and community-focused initiatives across the state.
As one of the nation’s largest nonprofit health systems, Dignity Health embraces its responsibility to lead by example—transforming operations to reduce its environmental footprint and help create a healthier future for all.
“We believe that the health of our patients is intrinsically linked to the health of our planet,” said Julie Sprengel, California President, CommonSpirit Health. “That’s why Dignity Health is dedicated to advancing sustainability across all our hospitals and care sites, ensuring we nurture healthier environments and empower stronger communities for generations to come.”
In 2025, Dignity Health hospitals across California made significant progress in reducing waste and greenhouse gas emissions, including:
- Shredding more than 3,341 tons of paper saving an estimated 56,797 trees, 23.3 million gallons of water, more than 10,000 cubic yards of landfill space, and 1.27 million gallons of oil
- Recycling more than 814 tons of mixed materials
- Reprocessing 50 tons of medical devices
- Recycling 1,380 tons of cardboard
These efforts highlight Dignity Health’s ongoing commitment to reducing its environmental impact and advancing sustainable practices that protect both people and the planet.
A Unified Vision: CommonSpirit Health Sets Ambitious Systemwide Goals
As a member of CommonSpirit Health, Dignity Health is contributing to systemwide sustainability goals. The health system has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2040 and reducing our operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50% by 2030. This commitment builds on CommonSpirit’s decades-long leadership in encouraging the health care sector to examine its impact on the planet and human health—especially among the most vulnerable communities, who are disproportionately affected by poor air quality and extreme weather events.
Sr. Mary Ellen Leciejewski, System Vice President of Environmental Sustainability, CommonSpirit Health, emphasizes the importance of this work: “If you don’t have a healthy planet, you can’t have a healthy human being. Our mission at CommonSpirit Health guides our commitment to improving the health of the people we serve, in mind, body, and spirit. Environmental stewardship is an essential part of that calling.”
Engaging Communities: Local Action for Global Impact
In celebration of Earth Day and Earth Month, Dignity Health hospitals and care sites are participating in a variety of local initiatives that promote sustainability and environmental awareness.
Dignity Health is proud to stand alongside its community partners, patients, and caregivers—helping create healthier communities and a more sustainable future across California.
About Dignity Health California
Dignity Health California is a nonprofit network of over 9000 physicians, more than 35,000 employees, 29 acute care hospitals, and 200-plus care-centers, including community hospitals, urgent care, surgery and imaging centers, home health, and primary care clinics. Dignity Health California provides award-winning care to communities in five primary markets across the state: North State, Sacramento, Central Valley, Central Coast, and Southern California.
Dignity Health is a member of CommonSpirit Health, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit Catholic healthcare organizations, dedicated to providing compassionate, high-quality, and affordable patient-centered care with special attention to the poor and underserved. Learn more at DignityHealth.org and CommonSpirit.org.
Contact: Lindsay Leszczynski
Lindsay.leszczynski@commonspirit.org
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SOURCE Dignity Health
