Tools and resources

American Thoracic Society - Climate and Health

• Climate and Health
• Poster
• Print Materials

According to a survey of American Thoracic Society members, eighty-nine percent agree that climate change is happening, and  seven in ten believe it is driven by human activity and is relevant to patient care.

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Waste management services RFP questions

• Waste
• Recycling
• Waste Management

When contracting for waste management and recycling services, consider the suggested RFI/RFP questions to assess service options to maximize waste reduction and recycling opportunities. Practice Greenhealth provides members detailed purchasing guidance on waste tracking, hauling, auditing, and fees.

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Advocate Health Care green advocates and sustainable work space certification

• Engaged Leadership
• Case Study
• Advocate Health Care
• Employee engagement
• Toolkit

(Employee engagement toolkit) Advocate Health Care strives to create a culture of conservation and improve the health of people and the environment. At Advocate, sustainability initiatives are an important part of wellness and managing health care costs. Two of the programs developed to do this are the Green Advocate Program and the Sustainable Work Space Program.

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Addressing climate change in the health care setting

• Climate and Health
• Mitigation
• Health Care Without Harm
• Report

Health care’s response to climate change requires a multi-faceted, practical approach. This document provides several kinds of resources to help, including tips on getting started, potential mitigation programs in different sectors, and an outline of some of the many resources, model programs and guidelines available to help move the process forward.

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A Sustainability Culture at Johnson & Johnson

• Engaged Leadership
• Employees
• Employees Case Study
• Case Study
• Johnson & Johnson
• Employee engagement

Johnson & Johnson is composed of three business segments—Medical Devices, Consumer, and Pharmaceutical. This case study features an employee engagement strategy for Citizenship & Sustainability that began in the Medical Device businesses, which in 2014 accounted for approximately 37 percent of the company’s revenue, and includes brands such as: Ethicon, Depuy Synthes, Advanced…

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A Guide to Batteries Used in Health Care

• Waste
• Guide
• Recycling

Several types of batteries are used in hospitals, many of which contain mercury and may also contain other heavy metals such as lead and cadmium. These metals may be a potential threat to human health and the environment if improperly disposed. This guide provides information on different types of batteries found in health care environments and the proper disposal options for them.

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“Fossil Fuel Free” retirement options

• Engaged Leadership
• Employees
• Guide
• Toolkit

(Employee engagement toolkit) This document provides guidelines for how health systems can establish and offer retirement options for employees that are free of holdings with fossil fuel companies. In addition to doing good for the world by establishing green retirement options, research tells us that employees seek out employers who are green and reflect their values about the environment and…

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Broad EPP_Broad Chemicals Advocate 2016

• Chemicals
• Exemplary Document
• Advocate Health Care
• Policy
• Guide

Advocate Health Care outlines their guiding aims, principles, and practices regarding the purchase and use of chemicals.

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CDC Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities

• Chemicals
• Guide
• Sterilants and Disinfectants
• Green Cleaning

(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) The Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities, 2008, presents evidence-based recommendations on the preferred methods for cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization of patient care medical devices and for cleaning and disinfecting the healthcare environment.

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Employee engagement poster: Gundersen

• Employee engagement
• Exemplary Document
• Poster
• Toolkit

(Employee engagement toolkit) This sample employee engagement poster features a staff member of Gundersen Health explaining "why a healthy environment is important to me."

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