There is a long standing history of military involvement in humanitarian interventions related to natural disasters, the engagement of national militaries in preparing for and responding to disease outbreaks in the domestic context is relatively recent.

Global Green and Healthy Hospitals Network (GGHHN) is a worldwide community of hospitals, health care systems, and organizations dedicated to reducing the ecological footprint of health care operations, in order to promote environmental and public health.

Green certification frameworks like LEED, WELL, and SEED enable hospital administrators to reduce operational costs, lower environmental impact, and improve patient recovery times through evidence-based design.