Greening the Operating Room
As hospitals across the country look for ways to reduce environmental impact, it makes sense to start with the departments that have the largest environmental footprints. The operating room (OR) is one of the largest users of supplies within the hospital as well as one of the largest producers of waste. Case studies have estimated that between 20-30% of the total waste generated by the hospital comes from the OR. A number of leading healthcare institutions have begun to tackle this problem by identifying a set of best practices that can reduce costs while also reducing waste, energy, and worker and patient exposure to hazardous chemicals. The Greening the Operating Room Initiative is a collaborative effort to envision what the green operating room of the future might look like, and what kinds of products, programs and best management practices hospitals can focus on as a means of getting there. Practice Greenhealth is committed to working with its partners and endorsing hospitals to provide the data, tools and resources necessary to substantiate these best practices as a critical step to widespread adoption across the sector.
Endorse the Greening the OR Initiative
Practice Greenhealth is now formally asking hospitals to endorse the Greening the OR Initiative. To endorse the initiative, simply fill out the Commitment Form below — identifying the pieces of the initiative your organization is interested in participating. Once we receive your commitment form, our Project Manager will reach out with more information on how to participate. Use the Project Overview to familiarize others at your organization with basic facts about this new initiative.
(Photo caption: Practice Greenhealth’s Janet Brown and Cecilia DeLoach Lynn get a tour of the best practices in place at MetroWest Medical Center’s operating room.)
- Greening the OR Project Overview
- Greening the OR Commitment Form
- Greening the OR Endorsing Hospitals as of June 28, 2011
NEW! Create your own commercial and win!
Practice Greenhealth is asking Greening the OR endorsers to plan and produce your own Greening the OR videos! This is your opportunity to show your creativity and talent, while illustrating how you reduce costs and also reduce waste, energy, and worker and patient exposure to hazardous chemicals.
You have a great story to tell. Create a video that best captures your success in greening your OR.
- Highlight Practice Greenhealth and the Greening the OR program
- Promote sustainability in health care and your hospital
- Entertain and interest viewers – your industry peers
Have fun, make it interesting, but really showcase the benefits of a green OR. Post your video on YouTube and email the link to GOR@PracticeGreenhealth.org . The video will be judged on content, popularity, creativity, and viewer comments.
Practice Greenhealth will show the winning video at the 2012 CleanMed conference and exposition in Denver, Colorado, and the winner will receive a prize! Look for more details in the next issue of Greenhealth magazine.
Greening the OR Guidance Documents
With the assistance of a number of individuals at our member facilities and across the sector, Practice Greenhealth has prepared a series of Greening the OR Guidance Documents.
Greening the Operating Room 2011 Webinar Series
Practice Greenhealth will be offering a webinar series focused on Greening the Operating Room in 2011. Live webinars are made accessible to endorsing hospitals and sponsors. Practice Greenhealth members can access the webinar recording and presentation files one week after the event using their Subscriber ID.
Click here to view Upcoming Greening the OR Webinars
Click here to view Archived Greening the OR Webinars
Upcoming Calendar of Greening the OR Events
Greening the OR Press Room
Click here to view press releases on the Greening the OR Initiative.
Additional Resources
Practice Greenhealth is committed to collecting a set of articles, case studies and guidance around green practices in the operating room. Click here to see more resources on Greening the OR
Contact Us
For more information on the Greening the OR Initiative, please contact Kaeleigh Sheehan, Greening the OR Project Manager at ksheehan@practicegreenhealth.org.
Practice Greenhealth thanks these organizations for
their contribution to the Greening the OR Initiative
