Socially Responsible Green Transition: Sustainable and Socially Responsible Business Model for the Public Sector Hospitals

Objectives*
Since the sustainability and corporate social responsibility impact the environment and society, both factors in connection with the climate change have become a topical issue in sustainable development also in the public sector hospitals.
To facilitate the green transition, on 02.01.2024. Riga Stradiņš University has launched the fundamental and applied research (GreenCare project Nr. Lzp-2023/1-034) that aims to develop an environmentally sustainable and socially responsible business model for public sector hospitals.
The most frequently mentioned component of a business model is the firm’s value offering (value proposition). Within the context of sustainability and climate change, there are four major components: environmental, social, governance and economic (profit).

Limitations: Considering the aims of the GreenCare project, this study focuses only on environmental components and social responsibility in the business model for public sector hospitals.

Materials and Methods
A literature search was performed to gain the latest research results in Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect/Elsevier, and Google Scholar to retrieve studies on:
(1) measures of sustainability in healthcare;
(2) corporate sustainability models.

Results
Based on the acknowledged sustainability practices in healthcare, a justified business sustainability and social responsibility-based model is proposed for public sector hospitals.
Additionally, the study summarizes the evolution of the sustainability concept within the framework of green transition and emphasizes the role of the leadership in sustainability management.

Conclusions
Sustainable development requires an integrated approach that aims to combine the promotion of economic prosperity with social inclusion and environmental stewardship.
The study has important implications for practice and research as it increases understanding of the framework of the sustainability in healthcare as well as shows the importance of the leadership in sustainability management.

Next steps are to uncover perceptions, practices and behaviour related to green transition in healthcare and elaborate policy recommendations for a pilot project.