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University of Chicago Health staff went above and beyond when they tackled the ever-growing pile of blue wrap coming out of their surgery department. Challenged with luke-warm recycling markets, Amber Kratochvil, operating room associate director, and a group of OR nurses came up with an innovative idea that both reduces waste and helps their community.
When they presented the idea to the unit-based council (UBC), UBC chair Heather Renken ran with it, establishing a team to start saving all disposable blue wrap that sterile trays come in when they arrive at operating rooms from sterile… Read More
Type: Press
By Gary Cohen, president and founder of Health Care Without Harm
Imagine energy efficient hospitals that save money on energy bills to use for critical patient care, and that promote renewable energy as a community health and resilience strategy. Imagine hospitals that create healthy food environments to help address the epidemic of obesity and diabetes in our country. Imagine hospitals that lead society in reducing toxic chemical exposures, and that are reducing their waste, saving money and improving patient care at the same time. Imagine a health care system that redefines “community… Read More
Type: Press
At Practice Greenhealth, we’re dedicated to coaching hospitals through their sustainability journey by targeting key areas like operating rooms. Anesthetic gases, like desflurane, are crucial in surgeries but can also be significant contributors to the climate crisis. To address this, our partner hospitals and health systems are prioritizing the reduction and elimination of one of the most costly anesthetic gases with the highest global warming potential – desflurane.
But there’s great news, according to our Sustainability Benchmark Report – 40% of our partners have eliminated desflurane… Read More
Type: Press
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
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
Remote video URL
Helping hospitals provide diners more of what they want while slashing food-related greenhouse gas emissions.
Across the country, clinicians and medical associations are extolling the health benefits of plant-forward eating, and hospitals are responding by reducing meat and increasing plant-centered menu options. Learn what it takes to become a pledge signatory and give diners more of what they want while slashing food-related emissions, saving costs, and improving health by watching the short video above.
Learn more
Why… Read More
Type: Basic page
Chemicals are found throughout the health care setting, from conventional cleaning products to furniture that releases hazards into the air over time. Scientific evidence continues to grow about the potential impact of hazardous chemicals on human health. A few reasons to be concerned include the following:
Virtually all people are exposed regularly to a complex mixture of industrial chemicals and other hazardous pollutants, according to government studies.
Many commonly used chemicals are linked to a wide range of negative health effects, including cancer, birth defects, and infertility,… Read More
Type: Basic page
RESTON, Virginia (September 1, 2016)—Last week, nine leading health systems—Advocate Health Care, Catholic Health Initiatives, Dartmouth-Hitchcock, Gundersen Health System, HackensackUMC, Kaiser Permanente, Partners HealthCare*, University Hospitals Health System, and Veterans Health Administration Nutrition and Food Services—called on food producers and manufacturers to meet the growing demand for meat and poultry raised without the routine use of antibiotics by health care organizations.
John Strong, President and CEO of Greenhealth Exchange (GX), applauded the health care sector’s call… Read More
Type: Press
By Keith Sutter, Director of Medical Device Sustainability, Johnson & Johnson
Support for sustainability among health care professionals is significant. A recent global Harris Poll survey commissioned by Johnson & Johnson found that more than three-quarters of health care professionals across six countries believe sustainability initiatives protect staff, and nearly 70 percent agreed they make business sense.
How can health care professionals translate this support into action, and build an effective case for investments in sustainability within their organization?
Answers are… Read More
Type: Press
Award applications for different facility types
The Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellence Awards provide recognition for health care organization members across the achievement spectrum.
Practice Greenhealth benchmarks three categories of facilities—based on whether they have overnight (staffed) beds or operating rooms within the facility.
Facility type 1: Facilities with overnight beds and ORs (typically acute care or critical access hospitals)
Facility type 2: Inpatient facilities without operating rooms, such as long-term care (LTC), psychiatric, orthopedic rehab, and… 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.