Depok-The Universitas Indonesia (UI) has again produced a new doctorate in the field of Environmental Science through the doctoral promotion of Dr. Ari Nurfikri, S.K.M., M.M.R., a lecturer in the Hospital Administration study program, UI Vocational Education Program. The doctoral promotion defense was held on June 20, 2026 at the UI Postgraduate School of Sustainable Development. In the defense, Ari defended his dissertation entitled “Hospital Sustainability Model Based on Green Hospital Implementation (Hospital Transformation Efforts in West Java)”. The research stems from the need to provide a health care system that is not only of high quality for patients, but also able to reduce negative impacts on the environment and maintain the long-term sustainability of hospital operations.
Hospitals are among the healthcare facilities with relatively high energy consumption and waste production, making the application of sustainability principles an increasingly urgent need. However, the implementation of green hospitals in Indonesia still faces several challenges, primarily because existing guidelines tend to focus on the environmental dimension and do not fully provide instruments for assessing hospital sustainability, projecting future conditions, and determining policy priorities to support the transformation towards sustainable hospitals.
Through his research, Ari developed a model that views hospital sustainability more holistically. The model integrates four main dimensions: institutional, environmental, social, and economic, adopting the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) concept; Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG); and the Global Green and Healthy Hospitals (GGHH) agenda.
The study was conducted over a ten-month period, from December 2024 to September 2025, at Hospital X, owned by the Sukabumi City Government, and Hospital Y, a teaching hospital owned by a State University in Depok City. The two hospitals were selected because they have different institutional characteristics, ownership, and levels of readiness for green hospital implementation.
(Photo: Atmosphere of Dr. Ari Nurfikri’s doctoral promotion activity)
Ari used a mixed-methods study with a sequential explanatory approach. The quantitative phase involved 787 outpatients. Mann–Whitney analysis was used to examine differences in patient perceptions of the physical environment of the two hospitals. Meanwhile, the qualitative phase involved eight green team members from both hospitals and was analyzed using the Multi-Aspect Sustainability Analysis (MSA) method.
The research results show differences in patient perceptions of the physical environment in several hospitals studied. These perceptions encompass various aspects, such as facility maintenance and upkeep, orientation or ease of finding service locations, building aesthetics, green open spaces, and the comfort and tranquility of treatment rooms and waiting areas.
In the sustainability assessment, the institutional dimension achieved the highest achievement in both hospitals. One hospital in Sukabumi, West Java, achieved an institutional sustainability score of 94.05 for current conditions and 50.66 for future projections. Meanwhile, one hospital in Depok, West Java, achieved a score of 81.74 for current conditions and 51.97 for future projections.
Despite both having strong institutional achievements, the two hospitals require different development focuses. At one hospital in Sukabumi, West Java, the social dimension had the lowest score, scoring 47.33 for the current situation and 57.33 for the future. Meanwhile, at one hospital in Depok, West Java, the economic dimension had the lowest score, scoring 46 for the current situation and 55.47 for the future.
“Based on these results, the development of a sustainability model at a hospital in Sukabumi, West Java, is focused on strengthening the social dimension as a pillar of sustainable hospital culture transformation. Several recommended levers include improving patient and employee satisfaction, establishing policies on the use of environmentally friendly vehicles and providing bicycles for employees, and utilizing local food sources,” explained Ari.
Meanwhile, a model developed at a hospital in Depok, West Java, focused on the economic dimension, particularly cost efficiency and investment planning for environmentally friendly technologies. Prioritized levers include the use of renewable energy, strengthening water conservation awareness campaigns, and using alternative water sources. This approach is expected to help the hospital gradually reduce operational costs while strengthening its environmental performance.
(Photo: Group photo at Dr. Ari Nurfikri’s doctoral promotion event)
The novelty of this research lies in the development of a hospital sustainability model that goes beyond measuring and evaluating current conditions. The model also provides projections of future conditions and policy priority scenarios based on the levers within each dimension. This allows each hospital to design the stages of its green hospital transformation according to its needs, resource capabilities, and institutional characteristics.
Ari added, “This model also bridges three gaps in previous research: the gap between concept and implementation, the gap between measurement and policymaking, and the gap between models developed in developed countries and the needs of hospitals in developing countries. The integration of TBL, ESG, and the GGHH agenda is expected to produce a more operational and relevant instrument for implementation in hospitals in Indonesia.”
In practice, the resulting model can be used to measure the success of green hospital implementation in hospitals of similar class and characteristics. The model can also serve as a reference in developing sustainable healthcare development policy scenarios, both at the hospital and local government levels.
This research also supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically SDG 3 on Health and Well-Being, SDG 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG 12 on Responsible Consumption and Production, and SDG 13 on Climate Change Action. The transformation to a green hospital is not only related to environmentally friendly buildings or facilities, but also includes governance, patient and employee engagement, resource efficiency, and the sustainability of healthcare services.
The doctoral promotion hearing was led by Prof. Dr. Drs. Supriatna, M.T., with Prof. Dr. dr. Rachmadhi Purwana, S.K.M. as promoter and Dr. dr. Tri Edhi Budhi Soesilo, M.Si. and Deni Danial Kesa, S.Sos., M.B.A., Ph.D. as co-promoters. The examining team consisted of Mohammad Reza Hilmy, S.K.M., MARS., Ph.D.; Prof. Dra. Fatma Lestari, M.Si., Ph.D.; Dr. Drs. Suyud Warno Utomo, M.Si.; Dr. Fatmah, S.K.M., M.Sc.; and Prof. Ir. Dwi Nowo Martono, M.Si.
This success strengthens the contribution of the UI Vocational Education Program to the development of applied science in hospital administration. Through research that connects environmental, management, economic, and patient experience aspects, Dr. Ari Nurfikri’s research is expected to serve as a reference for hospitals in developing high-quality, efficient, environmentally friendly, and sustainable healthcare services.
