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Infection prevention and control in health care is of primary importance. Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) direct costs are between $35.75 billion annually and result in almost 100,000 deaths in the US. HAIs also hold implications for reimbursement, as CMS now requires that the occurrence of three HAI related Healthcare acquired Conditions (HACs) may result in lower reimbursement rates in Medicare patients without other complication. This rule continues as part of its annual Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) rule which took effect on October 1, 2008. Although there may not… Read More
Type: Resources
Framework for the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
It is important to know the correct classification of all of the organization's waste, as different sets of rules will apply to the facility depending on the total amounts of each type of hazardous waste generated per year. Large quantity generators (LQGs) operate under more stringent rules and more comprehensive reporting requirements than small quantity generators (SQGs). The following information will assist healthcare organizations in determining what to count toward their hazardous waste totals.
Type: Resources
Conventional cleaning products can contain chemicals associated with respiratory irritation, skin and eye injury, ozone depletion, cancer, and indoor air problems. Based on state occupational injury reporting, janitorial staff have some of the highest on-the-job injury rates. A 2007 study in The Lancet identifies nurses as having the highest rates of work-related asthma of any occupation in the study, and two additional studies in 2007 (Am J Resp Crit Care Med and Occup Environ Med) pointed to the use of cleaning chemicals as a probable trigger for work-related asthma in healthcare. Choosing… Read More
Type: Resources
Sponsors and Steering Committee Participants: Developing the Greenhealth cost of ownership calculator
(Greenhealth cost of ownership toolkit) We are grateful for the participation and support provided over three years from over a dozen sponsors and steering committee participants who were tasked with developing a solution to a key barrier - cost - in transforming markets toward environmentally preferable products. The results of many months of work is the completion of Version 1.0 of the Greenhealth cost of ownership calculator to address the cost barrier and who shared the vision of… Read More
Type: Resources
(Greenhealth cost of ownership toolkit) The user community will provide a welcome space for users of the calculator to share their experiences and learn from others.
Practice Greenhealth exchange listerv Post your questions of the Practice Greenhealth listserve community
Greenhealth cost of ownership ambassador (members only) For users of the calculator, become an ambassador to share your experiences in a more formal way, such as through Sharing calls, articles, and more.
Case studies (members only) Use our template to share your experience and results with others to show your great work… Read More
Type: Resources
Providing incentives and programming to employees to improve the health of their homes, families, and friends is a way to extend the “culture of caring” beyond the walls of the organization. One program that can help reduce air pollution and climate impacts in your community is to provide employees with discounts on residential solar systems. Download the Practice Greenhealth Employee Home Solar Program guide to learn more and get started.
Type: Resources
(Employee engagement toolkit) This document offers evidence of the value of staff engagement in sustainability case studies demonstrating how Practice Greenhealth members are weaving organizational commitment and the passion of team members to make the organization's fabric even stronger, employee's dedication even deeper, and advancements in sustainability even more impactful and achievable.
Sustainability and Employee Engagement:
A Winning Strategy
Type: Resources
(Employee engagement toolkit) The Employee engagement presentation was developed to save you time. Topics covered include why employee engagement is important, what drives engagement, and case studies from within the health care business community. Download the presentation with notes to use as you see fit. The presentation could be used to present to a team, to educate others and to modify for your own use.
Sustainability and Employee Engagement Presentation
Type: Resources
Regulated medical waste (RMW) is regulated at the state level, with each state defining what material is legally considered to be RMW (also called infectious waste, biohazardous waste or special medical waste (depending on the state) within its borders. The state regulation also typically lays out the appropriate or acceptable treatment or disinfection methods for different classes of medical waste, as well as the proper storage, labeling, manifesting and disposal requirements for RMW. The agency defining RMW can vary by state but is typically the state department of health or the state… Read More
Type: Resources
What is composting?
Compost is created from the decomposition of landscape and food wastes. In a finished product, it is a dark, crumbly and earthy-smelling material that appears similar to soil. Composting provides institutions with a method to dispose of a large portion of these waste streams in a way that benefits their bottom line and the environment. By composting, an institution avoids high per ton incineration or landfill disposal costs for these dense and heavy materials. For some institutions that use an industrial food disposal system, composting avoids sludge issues at the… Read More
Type: Resources
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.