Sustainable habits for your health and the planet
When you think about sustainability, you might not consider health care’s effect on the environment. But about 10 percent of greenhouse gas emissions come from delivering health care, and the UPMC Center for Sustainability was established to address these serious and sometimes hidden hazards. Listen as Holly Vogt and Dr. Noe Woods explain how the Center’s initiatives enhance sustainability across the organization.
"Good Health, Better World" is available wherever you enjoy podcasts.
Senior Director, UPMC Center for Sustainability
Holly Vogt is committed to bringing forward thinking to drive change. She has had the privilege of leading the UPMC Center for Sustainability team with a vision and purpose to inspire employees at every level to think and act more sustainably. In her role at UPMC, she contributed to the first systemwide Strategic Sustainability Plan establishing long- and short-term goals across seven categories. She developed a four-year Electric Vehicle (EV) Deployment Guide, with Phase 1 successfully launched in 2024. Holly also participates as a stakeholder in the Oakland Energy Master Plan and collaborates with the Energy Innovation Center’s Student Sustainability Design Challenge.
Holly holds an Executive Masters of Sustainability Leadership from Arizona State University and a Bachelor of Science from Slippery Rock University. She also earned a Pennsylvania Certificate of Recycling from Penn State University and Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania. She is an elected Board Member to the Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania serving on the Conference and Membership Committees. Additionally, she is a member of the western PA chapter of Women in Healthcare.
Holly has a passion for her local community and enjoys volunteering with several organizations. She participates in water clean-ups on local streams, an after-school tutoring program, and supports college students as a mentor. Her favorite motto is “Dream Big and Act Bold” and that is the standard that she sets for both her professional and personal life.
Assistant Dean for Sustainability and Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Dr. Woods is a specialist in pelvic ultrasound and previously worked as an ob-gyn in Navajo Nation. She completed her undergraduate studies at Cornell University as a Cornell Tradition Scholar, attended medical school at Temple University School of Medicine, and completed ob-gyn residency at the University of Vermont College of Medicine.
Her research involves environmental life cycle analysis of surgical procedures, and she is the course director of the Pittsburgh SOM health care sustainability elective. She founded Clinicians for Climate Action (C4CA): a 550+ member group with a mission to decarbonize health care. In addition, she serves on the National Academy of Medicine Climate Collaborative.
Fierce Healthcare named her a "2023 Women of Influence," C4CA received an American Climate Leader award from ecoAmerica in 2024 and she was featured on NPR’s morning edition. She loves open-water swimming, rock climbing and Irish fiddle playing.
