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Understanding how distributors, suppliers, carriers, and service providers move hospital materials can help hospitals make smart choices when it comes to choosing suppliers with responsible and efficient transportation practices.
Strategies such as requiring that preferred suppliers participate in programs focused on adopting advanced, fuel-efficient technologies and operational practices for freight or developing campus-wide no-idle policies and practices, including on the loading dock, can save fuel and fuel costs while also reducing hazardous air pollution.
Suppliers who are EPA… Read More
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“Not only does this project impact greenhouse gasses from keeping food waste out of the landfill, it is also about dollars saved, which is important to hospital administrators, and then there is the food rescue piece which is what is really important to our community.”
– Jack Breezee, Sutter Health regional director of food and nutrition services
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Sutter Health knew they were wasting food but didn’t know how much. They wanted to find a way to reduce food waste – and knew they could help their community at the same time.
Sutter Health… Read More
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Healthier Hospitals (HH) was a great success due to the thousands of hospitals and health systems that committed to the six challenges to improve sustainability performance. It represented a shared leadership around healthier communities and provided hospitals of all sizes with free tools and resources that help focus sustainability efforts on the health care sector's biggest areas of opportunity and risk. Our success is due in large part to the strong partnerships we've formed with health care organizations and other nonprofit organizations.
In many cases, these challenges helped get… Read More
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The imperative
The Lancet Commission characterized climate change as both the “biggest global health threat” and the “greatest global health opportunity” of the 21st century. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2018 report, we need to cut emissions in half by 2030 and get to net-zero emissions by 2050 to keep warming to 1.5°C and avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate change.
Solving health problems always starts with setting a goal. Establishing a leadership-endorsed, ambitious target motivates staff and helps drive strategies and resources for success… Read More
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CleanMed is the premier national conference for leaders in health care sustainability.Presented each year by Practice Greenhealth and Health Care Without Harm, CleanMed brings together health care leaders from across the country to learn, share, innovate, and collaborate to develop new sustainability standards, practices, and products. CleanMed also explores how health care organizations can partner with their communities to build conditions that support health, well-being, and justice.Tailored to health care’s specific needs and goals, CleanMed connects you with those at the forefront of… Read More
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Your roadmap to cut food waste and costsWe're offering Practice Greenhealth partners access to a proven roadmap to help you achieve your food waste reduction goals, driving cost savings, operational efficiency, and progress toward your climate and community health objectives.The U.S. Food Waste Pact is a national voluntary agreement that helps businesses commit to and drive measurable food waste reduction by providing a proven framework and resources to implement strategies for source reduction, donation, and recycling. We've made it easy for Practice Greenhealth partners to participate… Read More
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Concerns over infection prevention, continued increase in the use of single-use, disposable plastics, and changes in international recycling markets and a lack of U.S.-based material recovery facilities have left operating rooms awash in single-use medical plastics. Additionally, a 0.5 percent contamination rate requirement on marketable medical plastics has challenged the compliance of many hospital recycling programs.
One ubiquitous medical plastic, ”blue wrap,” is estimated to make up almost 20 percent of all operating room waste. While these plastics do an excellent job of keeping… Read More
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The Visionary Leader Award recognizes annually one senior-level health care executive who is making a significant contribution to health care sustainability through groundbreaking and innovative strategies, and mentorship. The winner will be a leader who has effectively advocated for and woven sustainability and environmental stewardship into health care operational excellence. Below are the past winners.
2019 Visionary Leader Award Winner
Alison Santore
Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Social Responsibility
Providence
2019 Visionary Leader Award Winner
Barbara E. Tretheway… Read More
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Strong governance for sustainability programming in health care is paramount to success. Successful sustainability programming in any industry relies upon more than passion. Practice Greenhealth guides health care organizations to focus on the core elements of developing strong sustainability governance, including establishing sustainability documents, structures, and resourcing.
Our definition of sustainability governance
The systems through which an organization’s sustainability activities are directed, controlled, and held to account. Good governance is a crucial foundation for long-… Read More
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“Our team shared information with staff about not only what we were doing but why. If you want buy-in from the people preparing and serving the items you’ve created, they need to be a part of it and support it. Frontline staff represent everything you’re trying to showcase. Without their support, you will lose momentum, and your patients and customers will not see the importance of the changes being made.”
– Jill Martin, senior director of food and nutrition services.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Food production accounts for approximately 25% of global greenhouse… Read More
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Join Practice Greenhealth
Practice Greenhealth is the health care sector’s go-to source for information, tools, data, resources, and expert technical support on sustainability initiatives that help hospitals and health systems meet their health, financial, and community goals.
Who We Are
Practice Greenhealth is the leading sustainable health care organization, delivering environmental solutions to more than 1,500 hospitals and health systems in the United States and Canada. Partnership opportunities include hospitals, health systems, community health organizations, NGOs, nonprofits, government, academic institutions, and the health care value chain.