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(Anesthetic gas toolkit) In 2015, Virginia Mason continued to improve on their anesthesia carts to enable anesthesiologists to have an environmentally responsible practice. The carts were optimized so that each one has a recycling, compressed aerosols, and a comingled sharps container. Once the standard work was agreed to, all of the carts were standardized to the design, so that it is intuitive and easy to use. This improved quality, reduced opportunities for mistakes, and ensured a lower environmental impact.
Type: Resources
Practice Greenhealth’s report demonstrates how your hospital can save money – up to $56,000 per operating room annually – while improving environmental and community health.
Leading hospitals are targeting the surgical suite to reduce waste, energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, and supply costs. Those participating in Practice Greenhealth’s Environmental Excellence Awards reported combined savings of more than $58.6 million in their ORs last year. Sustainability strategies also helped prevent nearly 13,000 tons of waste from going to the landfill in 2017.
See how your hospital compares… Read More
Type: Resources
In the process of eliminating pests, health care facilities can expose patients and employees to toxic chemicals through the inhalation, ingestion, and absorption of pesticide residues. Most vulnerable to pesticides are pregnant women, infants and children, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems, allergies, and sensitivity to pesticides. These populations are present in abundance at a health care facility. Integrated pest management (IPM) aims to prevent and manage pest problems in the least hazardous manner possible.
The University of Rochester Strong Memorial Hospital… Read More
Type: Resources
Through the establishment of a voluntary operating room green team, University of Minnesota Medical Center's Dr. Rafael Andrade has been dedicated to improving the health of the environment by working to reduce the amount of waste his procedures generate.
Type: Resources
University of Maryland Medical Center has been using reusable gowns and basins in their operating rooms for 15 years. In 2007, UMMC staff started a green team to decrease the facility's negative impact on the environment. A review of the hospital's waste disposal system led administrators to reduce the amount of waste the facility generates.
Type: Resources
(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
Transportation is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States and is right behind energy production in terms of its impact. The health care sector contributes 8% of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States each year. Hospitals must make transportation more sustainable in order to reduce their carbon footprint.
Type: Resources
The Association for Medical Device Reprocessors (AMDR) is an excellent resource for keeping up-to-date on research and activity around device reprocessing (www.amdr.org). AMDR is a trade association for third-party reprocessors whose members account for about 95 percent of the third-party reprocessing done in the United States. AMDR suggests that hospitals ask key questions to vendors before choosing a reprocessor.
Type: Resources
Consider the suggested RFI/RFP questions for reusable textiles, including towels, blankets, and patient apparel, to identify products that are environmentally preferable and an alternative to single-use, disposable items.
Type: Resources
One of the most important responsibilities of any health care provider can be captured best by four wellknown words from the writings of Hippocrates: “First, do no harm.” Adhering to that maxim is intuitive and ethical, and in recent years has led to a variety of programs to improve not only the tools and techniques of modern medicine, but also the health care environment itself.
One of the most important of these initiatives, reflected by environmentally friendly, or “green” programs in hospitals across the country, is chemical reduction. By eliminating or at least reducing toxic chemicals… 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.
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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.