Saint Louis University–Sacred Heart Medical Center (SLU-SHMC) took another significant step toward building a more sustainable and responsible healthcare institution through the first Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Training Program, which opened on 18 August 2026 at Dr. Honorata Yabut Hall, SLU-SHMC.
Steered by Dr. Paul Adlai B. Quitiquit, MHA, Medical Center Chief, this four-day learning and action program brought together healthcare professionals within the hospital to understand ESG not simply as a global framework, but as a practical roadmap for transforming SLU-SHMC operations and creating sustainable impact.
The first day of training, which was facilitated by Dr. Quitiquit and Patience Experience Head Aldren R. Remon, RN, PhD, connected global ESG principles with the realities of healthcare operations from Green Hospitals and climate-health risks to carbon footprints, Scope 1–3 emissions, circular economy practices, and sustainable healthcare systems.
“Healthcare must not only heal people; it must also help protect the environment and build a sustainable future” emphasized by Dr. Quitiquit. Complementarily, Dr. Remon emphasized the importance of moving beyond awareness toward measurable action, particularly through carbon-conscious operations, circular solutions, waste reduction, and departmental accountability.
Departmental breakout sessions proved highly productive as trainees worked together to develop initial ESG Action Plans and Departmental Waste Maps. These outputs allowed teams to identify current waste streams and operational practices, opportunities for waste reduction and circularity, environmental risks and improvement areas, practical departmental sustainability initiatives, and actions that can contribute to the hospital’s broader ESG agenda. This is where ESG moves from a concept on paper to action on the ground.
This international training program is structured as a continuing learning and implementation journey:
14 September 2026
Social Pillar-People, Community, Equity & Social Responsibility
02 October 2026
Governance Pillar-ESG Governance, Accountability & Institutional Structures
25 January 2027
ESG Action Plan Presentations, Workshops & Training Program Completion
The program is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDGs 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), 13 (Climate Action), and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), supporting sustainable healthcare, responsible resource use, clean energy, climate action, and collaborative partnerships. (Article by A. Remon | Photos by SLU SHMC)
