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Sterilants and disinfectants used on surfaces, medical devices, and all items that come in contact with patients are an absolute necessity for infection control in any hospital.
The two most commonly used sterilants and disinfectants for medical devices in health care also have unwanted side effects for the health care workers who use them. They are:
ethylene oxide, a known human carcinogen; and
glutaraldehyde, with reported side effects experienced by health care workers, such as breathing difficulties, rashes, headaches and nosebleeds.
Both the use and disposal of toxic sterilants and… Read More
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Rigid sterilization containers can be a sustainable, safe alternative to polypropylene “blue wrap” for sterile operating room equipment.
Incorporating the cost of rigid sterilization containers into annual capital budgeting processes such that requests for new instrument sets include a rigid sterilization container can help offset upfront cost, especially when used on high-volume, commonly used instrument sets or items. The effort has long-term cost-saving benefits by reducing the amount of blue wrap and other single-use sterilization materials, like sterile indicator tape, which may require… Read More
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Carpet can negatively impact the indoor environment and the employee and patient experience in your facility. Some volatile organic compounds that can be released from the carpet into the indoor air are carcinogens or reproductive and developmental toxicants. Other hazardous chemicals can contaminate indoor dust, resulting in exposures. Workers in carpet manufacturing and recycling facilities can be exposed to carcinogens, asthmagens, and reproductive and developmental toxicants.
Choosing healthier recyclable carpet can:
Decrease patient, staff, and visitor exposures to harmful chemicals… Read More
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By Shanda Demorest, Practice Greenhealth member engagement manager
The ask. Long before I joined Practice Greenhealth in May 2019, Karoline Sperling at Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park, Minn., heard I was a nurse looking to talk about climate change with whomever I could. Fast-forward several months to August, when we reconnected around the ask, which had blossomed to speak about environmental sustainability in health care, the health impacts of climate change, and what people in the infection prevention specialty can do about it. Complex indeed. Fortunately, this… Read More
Type: Press
By Lauren Koch, Health Care Without Harm climate and health program associate director
Let’s get one thing out of the way: I have been eying the GreenBiz conference for years. I was almost as excited to go to this event as I was for my very first CleanMed five years ago – almost.
I was positively giddy getting off the plane in Phoenix. (Temps were in the 80s, which didn’t hurt when you’re flying in from blustery Ohio.) With courses like “Building a New Carbon Economy” or “How Climate Resilient is Your Company,” I couldn’t sleep the first night, even with a generous dose of NyQuil to battle… Read More
Type: Press
Data collection is essential to effective sustainability programs, but it’s only useful if the data is used and acted upon. By aggregating data from hospitals across our network, Practice Greenhealth provides valuable insights into the state of sustainability work across the sector.
We know your data is precious, and we are committed to protecting it. Please see our data policy to learn more
“Thanks to the data analyzed through the awards platform at Practice Greenhealth, we're in a healthier position to categorically mitigate the various wastes associated with health care operations while… Read More
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38 case studies & guidance on sustainable health care
“It’s very exciting to be part of a strategy that is so ambitious and future thinking. It inspires us as health care workers to play our part in helping our district to achieve the goals we’ve set out.” – Amy Bernotas, Anaesthetic & Recovery Nurse, Hunter New England, Australia
Health Care Without Harm and partners convened health care organizations from 17 countries around the world to share their stories of proven practices and step-by-step guidance for dramatically reducing greenhouse gases and protecting life-giving… Read More
Type: Press
By Julie Moyle, MSN, RN, Outreach and Engagement Specialist, Practice Greenhealth
In 2016, the state of Florida saw states of emergencies as a result of a massive algae bloom in its fresh water supply, the arrival of the Zika virus, and two hurricanes which brought flooding and destruction to both coastlines, as well as the all the associated health and economic impacts. Already at sea level, Miami and many others coastal cities along the Atlantic seaboard are experiencing an increase in “sunny day floods,” which means during tidal events, rising sea levels are resulting in an increase in… Read More
Type: Press
For 20 years, the Environmental Excellence Awards have recognized the U.S. health care sector’s top performers in sustainability. This program enables Practice Greenhealth to gather sustainability data nationwide, identify leaders, and empower health care facilities to continually improve their sustainability efforts. Participating facilities can compare their sustainability data with peers, share successes and best practices, and validate their work to contribute to the national health care sustainability movement. Facilities new to sustainability can use the application as a guide, finding… Read More
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Health care’s contributions to climate change also contribute to many of the diseases we care for, which stands in contrast to a hospital’s healing mission and commitment to “do no harm.” The U.S. health care sector’s greenhouse emissions make up 8.5% of the U.S. total, and American health care facilities emit more greenhouse gas than the entire United Kingdom.
It is imperative that health systems set a net-zero goal for no later than 2050 to limit global warming to 1.5° C and avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate change.
Kaiser Permanente’s 2025 goals “raise the bar on… Read More
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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.