Search Results
Displaying results 181 - 190 of 472
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
Type: Basic page
Two weeks ago, my daughter Franni and I (along with two other moms and their 8th grade girls) embarked on a volunteer trip to Jaibon, Dominican Republic through a not for profit— Outreach 360. We spent the week teaching English to children aged kindergarten through sixth grade and worked on a project associated with a boy’s orphanage that homed 22 amazing boys. The school principal and orphanage founder were one in the same – “La Tia” – the Aunt.
Students
I was able to connect this experience to my passion for health care sustainability by going online to identify the local hospital. I… Read More
Type: Press
By Scott Rich, Practice Greenhealth marketing and growth associate director
Over the summer months and into autumn, I had the opportunity to get up close and personal with Practice Greenhealth partners, prospects, and advisory services clients out on the road in Idaho, Utah, Missouri, Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan.
Here are a few highlights from “the road:”
University of Utah Health (Salt Lake City)
The University of Utah Health system is one of the newest partners in the Practice Greenhealth network and quite possibly the most excited. In addition to the professional hospital staff, 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
Charters are usually created for discrete governance structures, such as the charter for Rush University’s green team utilities working group, a topical work group focused on energy. The charter outlines the group’s purpose and charge, which includes provision of regular progress updates to the organization’s high-level sustainability steering committee. Additional sections outline logistics, process, membership, and project areas.
Type: Resources
Medical devices and equipment cost more than their initial purchase price. Maintenance, energy demands, disposal costs, and other long-term costs of ownership can drastically change the lifetime price tag of products and equipment.
The tool provides a framework to assess the financial costs and bring hidden costs to the surface, including:
Maintenance
Use
Disposal
Looking at the maintenance, use, and disposal costs to an organization means looking at costs, such as:
Energy use, water consumption, fuel, and waste disposal
Cleaning
Consumables
Taking all of these factors into account… Read More
Type: Basic page
10.07.15 by Beth Burmahl, Suzanna Hoppszallern Senior Editor, Jamie Morgan
Hospitals make fruitful progress toward sustainability as some take great strides and others stick to baby steps
When it comes to environmental sustainability, hospitals across the United States are making considerable strides in lopping off what industry experts call the low-hanging fruit — the less costly and labor-intensive measures that often show significant energy and cash savings.
But reaching the fruit nestled higher up in the tree — purchasing bigger-ticket items, securing adequate staffing and… Read More
Type: Press
By Sarah Dalton, HonorHealth administrative fellow
Pursuing organizational sustainability can seem daunting – it is complex, takes time, and the upfront costs can feel like a barrier to entry. As an administrative fellow at HonorHealth, I worked with and learned from the organization’s sustainability committee, which has set out to prove that with the right tools and mindset, health care organizations can achieve sustainability goals while uncovering significant cost savings and giving back to their communities.
HonorHealth’s sustainability committee includes leaders from various… Read More
Type: Press
(Anesthetic gas toolkit) Inhaled anesthetics containing environmentally deleterious greenhouse gases are used daily in the practice of anesthesia. The hypothesis is that a reduction in fresh gas flows would significantly decrease volatile agent consumption and resultant purchasing costs at UCSF. Total fresh gas flows utilized by anesthesia providers were analyzed and the data subsequently used to educate employees on the efficient use of inhaled anesthetics.
Type: Resources
Recycling is one of the first ways our member hospitals look to implement or improve waste reduction. Many hospitals with active recycling programs have used Practice Greenhealth tools to recycle as much as 30 percent of their total waste across two main categories.
Solid waste recyclables
Confidential paper, mixed office paper, mixed plastics, corrugated boxes, glass and steel cans
Costs for this waste stream are often offset or completely covered by rebates and the sale of recycled materials.
Paper and corrugated cardboard recycling alone can reduce waste by 10 percent or more.… Read More
Type: Basic page
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.