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We recognize the burden our community is under. Many of you are on the front lines of this unfolding crisis caring for people with COVID-19. From all the staff at Practice Greenhealth and Health Care Without Harm, thank you for your tireless work during this unprecedented time. We have heard countless stories of hope, community, and compassion from across the health care sector. We are all humbled and inspired by you.
Supporting our health care partners remains our priority. At a time when there are few answers, we welcome you to share your thoughts and challenges so we may begin a dialogue… Read More
Type: Press
Composting landscape and food waste is a viable waste reduction strategy for many hospital and health systems. Long-term benefits of compost programs for hospitals might include:
Reduces incineration or landfill disposal costs for dense and heavy landscape and food scraps
Avoids costly extra water discharges from wastewater treatment due to food waste sludge created by industrial food disposal systems.
Saves landscaping budget by increasing water retention, aeration, and soil nutrients, which reduces mulch, fertilizers, and pesticide purchases.
Unneeded compost can potentially be sold or… Read More
Type: Basic page
Hospitals and food banks will provide nutritious food to communities in need across the country.
June 7, 2016 (Reston, Virginia) – Practice Greenhealth and Feeding America announced today a new collaboration to help Americans living at risk of hunger. The nation’s largest domestic hunger relief organization and leading health care sustainability membership organization have created a nationwide program to donate excess food from hospitals and health care facilities to local food banks.
More than 48 million Americans are food insecure, according to the USDA.
“Building upon its commitment to… Read More
Type: Press
Purchasing touches every department of a hospital, and a high-level commitment to environmentally preferable purchasing can anchor these efforts and drive comprehensive, sustainable changes in how supplies and services are procured.
Practice Greenhealth has collected best practices from many hospitals that are successfully doing this work. The most successful have followed a clear framework of important steps that secure buy-in and longevity, promoting the results of any initial purchases of before the organization procures its first sustainable services or products. These key activities… Read More
Type: Basic page
Hospitals have significant buying power as they are often one of the community’s largest consumers. By purchasing food and beverages that have earned trusted third-party certifications for quality and sustainable practices, hospitals can shift the entire food system toward sustainability, without significant cost increases to total food service spending. In many cases, this can be done through collaborative efforts with the health care supply chain and vendors, via tactics including:
Using purchase power to move away from detrimental food production practices like the overuse of antibiotics… Read More
Type: Basic page
As a sustainability professional, you can connect your community benefit department with healthy food program implementers in your food service department to help align your organization’s sustainability efforts with community benefit investment opportunities.
Connecting the dots
Collaboration among sustainability staff and community benefit staff can additionally align and amplify “climate co-benefit” initiatives that directly improve public health.
By working together, these departments can share expertise and resources to more effectively — and simultaneously — address environmental and… Read More
Type: Basic page
Food service is a powerful but often untapped lever with the potential to improve patient and community health, address diet-related disease, reduce carbon footprints, and build community wealth and resilience. At CleanMed 2022 May 10-12 in Kansas City, hear from experts on how to bring equity and diversity principles into food purchasing and how plant-forward menus and new food waste recovery strategies can help hospitals meet ambitious climate targets.
Attendees of CleanMed will discover the power of food to:
Integrate equity & community into food purchasing
Learn how to integrate… Read More
Type: Press
Hospitals are in a unique position to support healthy food access programs that respond to needs in their communities.
Triple win
By tying local food systems development to patient and community health outcomes health care, can achieve its core mission, reduce the cost of health care related to food insecurity, and deepen community relations.
Hospital campuses can be great places to host farmers markets, food pantries, or as a site for distributing community-supported agriculture (CSA) shares.
A growing number of hospitals have their own garden or farm on their grounds that is connected… Read More
Type: Basic page
Health care systems have unique responsibilities when it comes to making sure building design and construction is sustainable and safe for staff, patients, and other occupants, including making sure:
People with any ability or disability may move around freely and safely
The facility stands ready for any emergency and is prepared to provide continuous care no matter the external circumstances
The indoor and exterior environments maximize patient healing and decrease the length of stay
The indoor environment does not expose staff or patients to pollutants and chemicals of concern
The… Read More
Type: Basic page
Each year, Practice Greenhealth recognizes an array of health care organizations for their environmental achievements. Outlined below are the different categories of recognition a health care facility or health system can win in 2021.
Environmental Excellence Award
The Environmental Excellence Award recognizes health care facilities that continuously improve upon programs to address sustainable operations, reduce and recycle waste, lower energy and water use, source more sustainable products, and more. Winning facilities have developed successful sustainability programs in a variety of… Read More
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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.