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This event occurred as part of CleanMed 2024. For information about CleanMed, the premier national conference for leaders in health care sustainability, visit CleanMed.org.
In the ever-evolving health care landscape, the imperative to pioneer tangible solutions that encompass resilience, equity, and mitigation within organizations has reached a critical juncture. Yet, navigating this multifaceted terrain remains a formidable challenge. In this plenary, an esteemed panel of speakers shed light on the intricacies underlying these challenges, including the pervasive presence of departmental… Read More
Type: Event
Blog by Blair Sadler, Esq., Senior Fellow, Institute for Healthcare Improvement
Now is the time to make environmental sustainability part of your quality improvement work.
Years ago when I was a hospital CEO, I didn't have sustainability on my radar screen. I wasn't aware of the significant impact that the health care sector has on the environment – and on quality care. I didn't consider the amount of waste, energy and water that hospitals used – that chemicals of concern are found in medical products and furniture – that the food system is one of the biggest contributors to global… Read More
Type: Press
(Sustainable procurement guide) To reduce human health and environmental impacts of products purchased in health care, the standardized environmental criteria support identifying and purchasing sustainable products. The criteria address two important impact areas: chemicals of concern and waste reduction.
Practice Greenhealth has developed guidance for the criteria that explains to suppliers and health care organizations the intent, rationale, and applications to products. This includes technical details for manufacturing.
Type: Resources
The sustainable procurement directory provides Practice Greenhealth members with guidance on more than 120 products and services health care organizations can target for sustainable procurement. The directory identifies key environmental considerations for each product or service, where to obtain more information, and the rationale for purchasing sustainably. This resource supports anyone who purchases or makes decisions about purchasing in health care. Be sure to download the latest version. Please let us know of any questions or comments by emailing procurement@practicegreenhealth.org. As… Read More
Type: Resources
Stewardship is a key aspect of the culture at Virginia Mason, as we strive to carefully manage the resources that keep our community in good health. One area of stewardship that is often overlooked in health care is the need to protect the environment. We know it makes good sense to reduce pollution for future generations. At an industry level, health care has lagged behind in taking proactive steps to protect our natural resources, but Virginia Mason is ahead of the curve. We were the first hospital in the Pacific Northwest to begin recycling and composting food waste and materials used in… Read More
Type: Resources
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
Type: Basic page
There are ten key elements in a best-in-class sustainable procurement program. The image below summarizes each element and where it is found in the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle, a framework for developing and implementing a successful program.
To learn more about each element and the PDCA cycle, refer to Practice Greenhealth’s sustainable procurement guide for health care. The guide serves as a roadmap for both new and existing programs and provides step-by-step guidance, tools, and resources for health care organizations to develop a sustainable purchasing strategy that prioritizes community… Read More
Type: Resources
Practice Greenhealth and Health Care Without Harm recommend that food purchased carry one of these certifications when possible: the Agricultural Justice Project, Fair for Life, and Regenerative Organic. These certifications are recommended because of their commitment to addressing the social and economic determinants of health, individual health and safety of workers, and community resilience and their inclusion of sustainability criteria. To be recommended, each certification had to be recommended for at least one category (individual health and safety, social and economic determinants of… Read More
Type: Resources
The Visionary Leader Award recognizes annually one senior-level health care executive who is making a significant contribution to health care sustainability through groundbreaking and innovative strategies, and mentorship. The winner will be a leader who has effectively advocated for and woven sustainability and environmental stewardship into health care operational excellence. Below are the past winners.
2019 Visionary Leader Award Winner
Alison Santore
Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Social Responsibility
Providence
2019 Visionary Leader Award Winner
Barbara E. Tretheway… Read More
Type: Basic page
Stacia began directing programs at Health Care Without Harm in 2009. She applies systems analysis at the intersection of human and environmental health to ignite the health sector mission to First Do No Harm by accelerating the uptake of procurement, practice, and policy transitions. Prior to working with the organization she led management of hospital food service and clinical nutrition programs in both small and large scale health care facilities. She brings skills in systems analysis and individual behavior change to the design of programmatic strategy within the organization, reaching… Read More
Type: Staff
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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.