Sovah Health
Climate Impact & Sustainability Data (2022)
Reporting Period: 2022
Environmental Metrics
ESG Focus Areas
- Social
- Healthcare
Social Achievements
- Decreased post-surgical opioid use by implementing multimodal pain management techniques and the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocol, resulting in a 20% reduction in opioid refills up to a year after initial prescribing.
Climate Goals & Targets
Environmental Challenges
- Opioid crisis in the US leading to difficult decisions regarding post-surgical pain management; balancing pain relief with the risk of dependency and abuse.
Mitigation Strategies
- Implementation of multimodal pain management techniques, including the ERAS protocol, to reduce opioid reliance; use of local anesthetics (ON-Q Painbuster, Exparel), non-opioid pain medications (NSAIDs, acetaminophen, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, lidocaine infusion), and non-pharmacological methods (hot/cold therapy, electrical neuromodulation, TENS, acupuncture); adherence to CDC guidelines for opioid prescribing.