SALT LAKE CITY, UT — In a compelling commentary published in the January 2025 issue of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Laura Bellaire, MD, of the University of Utah’s Department of Orthopaedics, urges her colleagues in the field to integrate sustainability into orthopaedic practice. The piece, titled “What’s Important: Engaging Meaningfully with Sustainability Efforts as an Orthopaedic Surgeon” (DOI: 10.2106/JBJS.24.00641), challenges the traditional boundaries of clinical care by addressing the environmental impact of health care delivery.
Dr. Bellaire, who also serves as Chair of the newly formed Sustainability Committee for the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA), brings both professional insight and personal conviction to the topic. Rooted in a lifelong commitment to environmentalism, she calls for a cultural shift in medicine—where sustainability is recognized as essential to both patient and planetary health.
“Promoting the health of our patients individually and caring for patients and planet collectively are not mutually exclusive,” Dr. Bellaire writes. “Orthopaedic surgeons have the potential to lead in this space.”
In the article, Dr. Bellaire highlights the outsized environmental footprint of the U.S. health-care system—particularly in waste and greenhouse gas emissions—and urges orthopaedic surgeons to reflect on how everyday decisions in clinics and operating rooms affect broader environmental and health equity outcomes.
She also emphasizes the importance of engaging the next generation of health professionals. With Generation Z entering the medical workforce and placing high value on sustainability, Dr. Bellaire sees a unique opportunity to align medical education and institutional practices with a more environmentally conscious approach to care.
Dr. Bellaire addresses skepticism within the medical community, where sustainability is sometimes seen as a distraction from clinical excellence. She counters this with a call for data-driven innovation, encouraging quality-improvement research, waste audits, and life-cycle assessments of products and procedures as practical ways forward.
“Comfort is overrated, and there is room for each of us to improve,” she says. “If we create space and support for innovation in this space, orthopaedics can emerge as a leader in sustainable health-care delivery.”
This commentary aligns with ongoing efforts at the University of Utah to support environmentally responsible practices in medicine. Through leadership roles such as her chair position with POSNA, Dr. Bellaire is helping to define what sustainability looks like in orthopaedic surgery and beyond.
About Dr. Laura L. Bellaire, MD
Dr. Bellaire is a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon at the University of Utah and Primary Children’s Hospital. She serves as Chair of the Sustainability Committee for the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA), where she leads national efforts to integrate environmental responsibility into clinical orthopaedics.
About the Department of Orthopaedics, University of Utah
The University of Utah’s Department of Orthopaedics is a national leader in musculoskeletal care, research, and education. With a strong commitment to innovation, equity, and excellence, the department is exploring new frontiers in patient care and environmental stewardship.
To read the full commentary, visit JBJS