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Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a problematic plastic because it requires additives such as plasticizers like diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), among others, and generates chemicals of concern throughout its life cycle – from manufacture, through use and disposal – resulting in potentially hazardous exposures to those chemicals in the workplace, in communities, and in some patients.
We have worked with hospital and health system members to identify high-priority product categories as defined by life cycle impacts, the potential for the release of toxic chemicals into the environment, exposures to… Read More
Type: Resources
The surgery department is sometimes referred to as the soul or epicenter of a hospital for a number of reasons: It can bring in up to 60% of a facility’s revenue, and the reputation of the operating room is often tied directly to the reputation of the hospital.
At the same time, a typical OR can make up half of a hospital’s aggregate costs, produce 33% of a facility’s waste, consume more energy per square foot than any other area of the hospital, and anesthetic gases alone make up around 5% of an organization’s greenhouse gas footprint.
All of this boils down to a department rich in… Read More
Type: Press
The standardized environmental questions for medical products are a set of supplier questions that can be used in the procurement process for OR surgical drapes to identify environmentally preferable products.
People can be exposed through the use of products containing these chemicals in the OR. In 2002, the FDA issued a Public Health Notification for PVC devices containing DEHP. DEHP is also listed as a carcinogen on the Prop 65 list. The National Research Council has also noted the importance of looking at cumulative exposure from multiple phthalates. These five phthalates are listed as… Read More
Type: Resources
Unleash your creativity and submit a video that celebrates the unsung heroes, innovative strategies, and transformative approaches driving progress in your organization. This is your opportunity to share untold stories that inspire and uplift the Practice Greenhealth community.
The Sustainability in action video contest is your chance to shine a spotlight on your hospital and health system’s groundbreaking achievements. Share your inspiring stories of resilience, equity, climate mitigation, and sustainability with a broader audience – and gain well-deserved recognition.
The contest… Read More
Type: Press
There are numerous ways that hospitals can provide community benefit support for healthy food access programs. This brief outlines nine common role categories — and on-the-ground examples — that hospitals are playing in support of these programs:
Provide grant support
Provide use of hospital facilities
Conduct food insecurity or health screening
Conduct nutrition, food, or cooking education
Provide staff or financial support for program evaluation
Provide staff support for grant writing or securing sustainable funding of community benefit initiatives
Manage or coordinate a program or… Read More
Type: Resources
Dignity Health supply chain and sustainability staff worked collaboratively with Staples, their office supply distributor, to improve the use of more sustainable office supplies throughout their network. The results of this initiative that began in late 2016 have shown both an increase in “sustainable spend” and 5 to 7 percent savings in the category of office supplies.
“Our purchasing decisions not only contribute to our cost and quality goals but connect us to our core values – especially that of stewardship – cultivating the resources entrusted to us to promote healing, which is at the… Read More
Type: Press
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
As sustainability programs gain momentum and leadership support, send a clear message about the priorities of the program by setting targets or goals. Executive stakeholders will take the program more seriously if deliverables are managed and measured, similar to other programmatic initiatives within the organization. Specific, measurable, and time-bound (often referred to as SMART goals) will set the direction for staffing, capacity, and resource allocation resulting in improved performance and impact.
Practice Greehealth recommends addressing the following questions when setting… Read More
Type: Basic page
(Transportation toolkit) Practice Greenhealth is pleased to offer members a toolkit to help hospitals and health systems reduce their transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions.
The goals aim to reduce employee single occupancy vehicle rates and miles, transition fleet vehicles to alternative fuels, implement idle reduction policies and practices, and work with supply chain partners to do the same.
The toolkit equips hospitals with the resources needed to accomplish these goals, while providing exemplary case studies of those who have been leading the way, including Seattle Children’s… Read More
Type: Resources
As a component of an application to apply for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for a new construction project, Anne Arundel Medical Center, a regional health system headquartered in Annapolis, Md., set a goal to achieve a 50 to 75 percent diversion rate of demolition and construction debris. The medical center enrolled in our Less Waste Challenge and set a goal for construction and demolition debris recycling. The project team incorporated diversion and recycling specifications in construction management contracts and tracked and reviewed progress regularly.… Read More
Type: Resources
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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 1,700 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.