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Christopher Bodkin, Data Coordinator Sector Performance and Recognition
Waste from the health care sector is significant:
255 Million lbs. of blue wrap is thrown away annually.
Businesses are turning blue wrap into products for hospitals.
Hospitals are creating blue wrap recycling programs.
Health care waste generation can be turned around to develop products promote environmental and economic health.
Historically, business success has been measured by making money, by boundless growth through linear consumption of resources and exploitation of environmental capital. Times are… Read More
Type: Press
In a February feature story, PBS NewsHour covered Health Care Without Harm’s mission to reduce the environmental footprint of the health care sector, along with the cutting edge sustainability initiatives of Practice Greenhealth members Cleveland Clinic, Gundersen Health System, and Mayo Clinic.
The article shines a spotlight on Health Care Without Harm’s beginnings over 20 years ago when the Environmental Protection Agency released a report that found that incinerators used by many hospitals throughout the United States were a top of emitter of harmful air pollutants, including mercury and… Read More
Type: Press
Hospitals produce more than 5 million tons of waste each year – and a vast portion of it comes from single-use plastics. Kaiser Permanente recognized this challenge as an opportunity to leverage its purchasing power and influence its suppliers to collaborate on a packaging redesign to reduce waste and save money.
Discover how
Type: Press
Two weeks ago, my daughter Franni and I (along with two other moms and their 8th grade girls) embarked on a volunteer trip to Jaibon, Dominican Republic through a not for profit— Outreach 360. We spent the week teaching English to children aged kindergarten through sixth grade and worked on a project associated with a boy’s orphanage that homed 22 amazing boys. The school principal and orphanage founder were one in the same – “La Tia” – the Aunt.
Students
I was able to connect this experience to my passion for health care sustainability by going online to identify the local hospital. I… Read More
Type: Press
Advocate Health Care has made a commitment to delivering sustainable health care through conservation of resources, preservation of environmental health, and waste minimization. By building a culture of stewardship where each of our associates are responsible and accountable for our impacts on the planet, Advocate intends to deliver health care that meets today's needs without compromising the health needs of future generations.
2011 Goals
To reduce energy consumption by 20 percent over the 2008 baseline by the end of 2015.
To divert at least 30 percent of total waste streams from the… Read More
Type: Press
Gundersen Health System is building upon its successful pharmaceutical waste collection program with separate medication disposal containers for public use.
Gundersen is providing three medication drop boxes for patient, visitor and employee use. The boxes are located in the following areas on Gundersen campuses during normal Pharmacy business hours:
Gundersen La Crosse Clinic Pharmacy
Gundersen East Building Pharmacy
Gundersen Onalaska Clinic Pharmacy retail area
“Gundersen has had a pharmaceutical waste collection program in place for several years, but this initiative takes the program… Read More
Type: Press
As your stretcher is wheeled into a hospital operating room (OR) and you stare up at the bright surgical lights, you are likely thinking about your impending surgery, not if those lights have LED bulbs or if the anesthetic gas you are about to breathe contributes to climate change. But maybe you should be. Hospitals consume over 10% of the nation's energy and generate more than 5.9 million tons of waste a year, and the health care sector is responsible for 8% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. The OR consumes more than its fair share of resources, eating up, on average, one third of a hospital… Read More
Type: Press
Moyle, Julie K. MSN, RN; Lynn, Cecilia DeLoach MBA, LEED AP
Author Information
Julie K. Moyle is the Founder of 1x1 Consulting and a Staff Nurse at Avista Surgery Center, Boulder, Colo. Cecilia DeLoach Lynn is the Director of Facility Engagement & Metrics at Practice Greenhealth, Reston, Va.
This article is based in part on a presentation given at the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) 2013 Congress, March 4, 2013 in San Diego, Calif. The authors wish to recognize contributing partners Debra J. Savage, MSN, RN, CNOR, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center East, Liisa J… Read More
Type: Press
The University of California (UC) announced a bold expansion of its systemwide sustainability goals as part of its Carbon Neutrality Initiative and leadership on climate change efforts.
UC will aim for 100 percent reliance on clean electricity supplies across its campuses and UC Health’s medical centers by 2025. This dovetails with the university’s prior pledge to become operationally carbon neutral by 2025. UC has already saved $220 million with its energy efficiency programs and continues to leverage the benefits of its solar farm in Fresno, the largest solar purchase of any university in… Read More
Type: Press
10.07.15 by Beth Burmahl, Suzanna Hoppszallern Senior Editor, Jamie Morgan
Hospitals make fruitful progress toward sustainability as some take great strides and others stick to baby steps
When it comes to environmental sustainability, hospitals across the United States are making considerable strides in lopping off what industry experts call the low-hanging fruit — the less costly and labor-intensive measures that often show significant energy and cash savings.
But reaching the fruit nestled higher up in the tree — purchasing bigger-ticket items, securing adequate staffing and… Read More
Type: Press
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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.