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This guidance document is part 2 of our series “Protection without pollution: COVID-19 waste-reduction strategies.” These three guides will help health systems, hospitals, and other health care providers set up successful immunization programs that protect the health of people and our planet.
The world is undertaking the largest immunization campaign in history to fight COVID-19. Billions will be vaccinated in the coming years, which is generating an unprecedented amount of waste. If we plan ahead, we can minimize the impact and waste while ensuring universal immunization.
Our… Read More
Type: Resources
Operating rooms generate as much as 60 percent of a hospital’s regulated, or "red bag," medical waste. Regulated medical waste is among the most heavily regulated and expensive waste streams to dispose of, in part because of the hazard it poses to people and the environment if improperly handled.
Virtually all waste generated during case setup is sterile and can be safely recycled. Working with infection control and environmental services to ensure applicable regulated medical waste definitions are clear and followed can be a game changer. When properly sorted, a significant portion of waste… Read More
Type: Basic page
Laurence W. Cohen is founder, partner, and CEO of Seven Bridges Advisors. Before founding Seven Bridges, Cohen worked as a managing partner at Ehrenkranz & Ehrenkranz and as a tax lawyer at Milbank, Tweed, Hadley, and McCloy, as well as at Shaw, Pittman, Potts, and Trowbridge. He served as a clerk for John Garrett Penn, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He served as chairman of the Brown University investment committee from 2009 to 2015 and vice-chairman from 2015 to 2019, and as a trustee of the Brown University Corporation and a member of its executive committee. He… Read More
Type: Staff
This guidance document is part 1 of our series “Protection without pollution: COVID-19 waste-reduction strategies.” These three guides will help health systems, hospitals, and other health care providers set up successful immunization programs that protect the health of people and our planet.
Gloves are the highest-volume disposable product purchased by health care. Glove use has increased dramatically and is expected to nearly double in the next five years. As health care facilities rethink their purchasing and supply chains in the wake of COVID-19, this guidance can serve as a roadmap for… 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
As many businesses and organizations reflect on the rapidly changing social and economic context and chart new ways of working, the health care sector has a unique role to play in guiding how we will achieve a healthier and equitable future.
Health care systems must find ways to honor, maintain, and celebrate what makes their community distinct. Leaders will need to embrace the non-financial, intangible value, it creates such as leadership, transparency, intellectual and human capital, and culture. Together these contribute to the organization’s ability to continue delivering value into the… Read More
Type: Basic page
Hospitals and health care facilities of all sizes are investing in the value sustainability can bring to their organization by hiring staff position(s) or placing the responsibility on existing employees. Some programs start from the bottom up, as grassroots efforts, while others may start with middle to upper management. It’s important to understand the drivers or motivation for the decision and how your executive sponsor will support you. Is sustainability seen as an ethical issue and in alignment with the moral compass and mission of your health system and the health sector? Is… Read More
Type: Basic page
A total cost of ownership and Sustainable Health in Procurement Project case study
Name of facility, location
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minnesota
Highlights
The Mayo Clinic had a fleet of over 1,000 lab freezers that use as much energy as about 1,000 homes.
They standardized purchasing practices for their fleet of ultra-cold lab freezers to buy more energy-efficient models.
By selecting the most energy-efficient model, rather than the lowest price, they will achieve a 60% energy-use reduction and long-term savings of more than $6 million over 10 years.
Ultra-cold laboratory freezers… Read More
Type: Resources
The 2020 Health Care Culinary Contest kicked off in October, challenging hospital chefs to embrace the #PlantForwardFuture with their own original creations.
We are excited today to announce the winner and ask you to join us today in celebrating the winner, finalists, and all the participants.
The grand prize winner of the 2020 Health Care Culinary Contest is: Stanford Health Care’s adobo de la tierra by Chef Noriel San Pedro.
Read an interview with San Pedro on plant-forward menus, serving comfort in COVID-19 times, and new twists on traditional meals.
Read the interview on Medium
Type: Press
Moving from single-use, disposable items to reusable items is an effective waste reduction strategy in the operating room, and also reduces upstream environmental impacts because fewer natural resources need to be extracted, shipped, manufactured, produced, and distributed. Reusability of supplies and products should be a priority in every purchasing decision, and the opportunities in the OR abound, including:
Suction canisters
Pulse oximetry probes
Basins/pitchers
Positioning devices
Surgical linens (gowns, drapes, covers, towels)
Blood pressure cuffs
Tourniquets
Sharps containers… Read More
Type: Basic page
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