Installation of charging stations in healthcare providers’ lots and hospital garages provides them with an opportunity to improve public health and air quality around their business, show care for their patients, visitors and employees, all while cutting costs in the process.
Electric vehicle charging stations at hospitals, doctor’s offices, dentist’s offices, and medical centers make it easier for staff and patients to drive an electric car and improve air quality.
Improving Public Health
When people think of electric vehicles, healthcare doesn’t immediately come to mind. However, studies show that air quality and personal health are closely tied together, and many healthcare professionals are starting to pay attention.
30,000
# of ER Visits and Hospital Admissions in California Which Could Have Been Prevented if Clean-Air Standards Had Been Met Between 2005-2007
The World Health Organization states that 4.6 million deaths per year can be attributed to air pollution. Poor air quality can cause illness and increased medical costs. Very few people know just how many serious diseases are caused, or worsened, by poor air quality.
Air pollution causes asthma, cardiovascular disease, impairs lung development in children and has been linked to leukemia, and even lung cancer. Prevention is the most effective way to defeat them. While higher air quality standards alone are not likely to prevent illnesses like heart disease and cancer, it is one step in the path to prevention and a more valuable one than most people think.
According to The U.S. Department of Energy, a study by Rand Health, “between 2005-2007, nearly 30,000 emergency room visits and hospital admissions in California could have been avoided if federal clean-air standards had been met.” The resulting medical costs are estimated at $193 million.
According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD, reduction in global economic output as a direct result of air pollution will be approximately $330 per person by 2060, and pollution-related annual healthcare costs in the U.S. will soar to $176 billion.
Preventative healthcare has been an important part of medicine for decades. Improving air quality can help prevent disease, promote health, and support the community.
Staff, Patient, and Family Convenience
Thousands of people - medical staff, administrative staff, patients, and families - come in and out of major hospitals and medical centers every day, making them prime locations for EV charging stations.
Most staff are on site for long hours and consider the hospital their second home, especially doctors, making charging stations very convenient for them. For medical professionals frequently “on call,” having a charging station at work ensures their vehicle is always topped off and ready to go.
Likewise, doctors and dentists often have individuals or whole families who have been patients for decades and feel like family. Improving public health for them, and making it easier for them to purchase and drive an EV, is a valuable gift provider can give patients.
Cutting Costs
According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD, a reduction in global economic output as a direct result of air pollution will be approximately $330 per person by 2060, and pollution-related annual healthcare costs in the U.S. will soar to $176 billion.
Poor air quality is increasing while health care costs go up, and confusion about health insurance benefits grows, costing patients and hospitals alike. Reducing healthcare costs from poor air quality saves lives and medical costs.
Send a Green Message
Just as doctors and dentists want to send a message that they care about patients, installing EV charging stations is a great way for healthcare facilities to send the message that they care about their communities. Helping staff make the decision to purchase an EV can foster change in air quality in the community and send a message that hospital staff is doing their part for the environment and patient health.
If you’re a healthcare facility and learning more about EV charging stations or would like to discuss if it’s a need at your facility, please feel free to contact Blink. We’ll offer insights into how you assess the need for EV chargers at your facility, and when you’re ready, we can offer you flexible solutions to get started with minimum upfront costs.