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University of Chicago Health staff went above and beyond when they tackled the ever-growing pile of blue wrap coming out of their surgery department. Challenged with luke-warm recycling markets, Amber Kratochvil, operating room associate director, and a group of OR nurses came up with an innovative idea that both reduces waste and helps their community.
When they presented the idea to the unit-based council (UBC), UBC chair Heather Renken ran with it, establishing a team to start saving all disposable blue wrap that sterile trays come in when they arrive at operating rooms from sterile… Read More
Type: Press
By Gary Cohen, president and founder of Health Care Without Harm
Imagine energy efficient hospitals that save money on energy bills to use for critical patient care, and that promote renewable energy as a community health and resilience strategy. Imagine hospitals that create healthy food environments to help address the epidemic of obesity and diabetes in our country. Imagine hospitals that lead society in reducing toxic chemical exposures, and that are reducing their waste, saving money and improving patient care at the same time. Imagine a health care system that redefines “community… Read More
Type: Press
Challenge
Control Montefiore Health System and Medical Centers energy budget while increasing ROI through low-risk and diverse strategies and initiatives.
What Makes Montefiore Health System different from other hospitals and medical centers?
“Going green” and “sustainability” are trending words that we hear thrown around a lot today. More and more organizations claim that they are going green and reducing their carbon footprint. So, what makes Montefiore different? Montefiore has been producing and using sustainable energy since 1993, with new and ever-evolving innovative programs. But… Read More
Type: Press
Practice Greenhealth member Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, Washington, was among the first hospitals to receive and treat COVID-19 patients.
They used more personal protective equipment (PPE) in two months in early 2020 than their entire 51-hospital system used the previous year.
The realization that there would not be enough PPE if standard infection prevention policies and isolation procedures were followed meant something had to change, and quickly.
As supplies of high-filtration masks dwindled, CDC and FDA provided guidance to hospitals on how employees could reuse “… Read More
Type: Press
Christopher Bodkin lives in rural New Hampshire and has served Practice Greenhealth as a data coordinator since 2013. Get his take on the importance of adopting a circular mindset, how data can drive a successful sustainability program, and his not-so-secret talent.
What emerging issues do you see in sustainability in health care?
I see the potential for the health care industry to drive extended producer responsibility. As two states require producers of packaging to share the responsibility, many hospitals are reviewing their purchasing decisions and putting pressure on their suppliers to… Read More
Type: Press
How 1 hospital is saving $20k a month and reducing GHGs
By Kaeleigh Sheehan, Practice Greenhealth Greening the OR and member engagement manager
With mounting threats posed to human health from climate change, more health care facilities are focusing on opportunities to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. And anesthesia practice has come under an increasing level of scrutiny and interest since anesthetic gases (most commonly desflurane, sevoflurane, isoflurane, and nitrous oxide) used for patient care are greenhouse gases.
During a procedure, only about 5 percent of administered… Read More
Type: Press
By Janet Howard, Practice Greenhealth member engagement manager
Headquartered in vibrant Nashville, Tenn., HCA Healthcare (HCA) has more than 170 hospitals across the country and approximately 1,800 sites of care, including surgery centers, freestanding ERs, urgent care centers, and physician clinics. A member of Practice Greenhealth since 2009 and a founding sponsor of the Greening the OR Initiative, HCA’s environmental stewardship programming is framed around the importance of building healthier communities. Each of its hospitals has a sustainability lead, and many HCA hospitals have won… Read More
Type: Press
The Greenhealth Approved ecolabel for sustainable medical products is now included in the EPA’s federal purchasing recommendations, supporting eco-friendly health care procurement
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Practice Greenhealth: Ella Schwotzer, press@practicegreenhealth.org
Greenhealth Approved seal earns recognition from EPA for medical productsThe Greenhealth Approved ecolabel for sustainable medical products is now included in the EPA’s federal purchasing recommendations, supporting eco-friendly health care procurement
Reston, VA, December 5, 2024 – Practice Greenhealth is proud to… Read More
Type: Press
Look beyond the price tag – consider the organization’s total financial commitment when purchasing products and services.
Hospitals have an enormous energy footprint—the impact of this is costly, both financially and environmentally.
Gaining more insight into supply costs—beyond the initial price tag—is an important step to saving money. When it comes to the total cost of ownership of a product, additional costs occur through the use and upkeep of a product and any additional resources it takes to run or maintain it, including the cost of energy and water use. The question of disposal also… Read More
Type: Press
By Hermine Levey Weston, RN MBA, Member Engagement Manager, Practice Greenhealth
Part two of a two-part blog series begun last week.
The Institute for Healthcare Improvement frames quality as striving to meet the Triple Aim: population health, per capita cost and experience of care. Making the connection to Population Health involves using healthier food systems to prevent obesity and cancer and minimizing endocrine disruption by decreasing chemicals of concern in buildings. Increased incidence of vector-borne illnesses is correlated to climate change so mitigating climate change by… Read More
Type: Press
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.