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Anesthetic gas is an operating room requirement that has big impacts on the outside world. Waste anesthetic gases – unused gas exhaled by the patient – are considered Scope 1 greenhouse gases and may make up 5 percent or more of a hospital’s entire carbon footprint.
With the leadership and engagement of an anesthesia clinical champion, it is possible to reduce the impacts of anesthetic gas in the operating room.
The American Society of Anesthesiologists offers guidance on environmental sustainability, including anesthetic choice and management, and the reduction, capture, and reuse of… Read More
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Your choices matter. By choosing a plant-forward meal you can have a huge impact.
Work in health care? Learn more about how to take action at your facility.
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Operating rooms are three to six times more energy intense per square foot than the hospital as a whole, due to their stringent heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) requirements, lighting, patient monitoring equipment, and long hours of use. There’s a tremendous opportunity for increasing energy efficiency and reducing energy costs for the entire facility by adopting smarter energy strategies in the surgical suite, such as LED lighting, HVAC setbacks for operating rooms, occupancy/vacancy sensors, as well as awareness campaigns, energy and water efficient retrofits of… Read More
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Congratulations on winning a Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellence Award and on your organization’s exemplary environmental stewardship.
In recognition of your dedication to environmental excellence and to help spread the word of this honor Practice Greenhealth plans to:
Announce all award winners on the Practice Greenhealth website.
Issue a press release about this year’s awards.
Share the news with other Practice Greenhealth members.
Promote across social media. Follow Practice Greenhealth on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Continue to share your stories of innovation, collaboration and… Read More
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Traditional methods of removing fluid medical waste from the operating room are being replaced in many places by fluid management systems that collect and discharge contents directly into the sanitary sewer.
Fluid management systems can replace single-use disposable plastic suction canisters, chemical solidifiers (itself an exposure risk), and significantly reduce waste disposal costs. Additional available safety features include smoke evacuation, precise vacuum control, fluid measurement, air filtration, and enclosed processing which further reduces occupational exposure risk.
Fluid… Read More
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Moving from single-use, disposable items to reusable items is an effective waste reduction strategy in the operating room, and also reduces upstream environmental impacts because fewer natural resources need to be extracted, shipped, manufactured, produced, and distributed. Reusability of supplies and products should be a priority in every purchasing decision, and the opportunities in the OR abound, including:
Suction canisters
Pulse oximetry probes
Basins/pitchers
Positioning devices
Surgical linens (gowns, drapes, covers, towels)
Blood pressure cuffs
Tourniquets
Sharps containers… Read More
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Several years ago, author Simon Sinek said the youngest generations (Millennials, Gen Z) weren’t just looking for any job, they were looking for a job where they could have an impact. This impact is likely to be strongly tied to the climate crisis, environmental sustainability, or social inequity. In fact, Deloitte’s 2024 Millennial Trends Survey reports that climate/environment is a top concern for both generations.
There is no one way to staff a sustainability program. Below are some sample job descriptions to get you started or add duties to existing roles at your facility.
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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.