Healthcare Moving to Adopt Greener Policies
America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) Hi-Wire recently posted an article describing the recent interest in adopting more environmentally friendly policies in the healthcare setting. Policies adopted when interest first developed focused on decreasing the amount of toxic waste produced, as well as reducing usage of energy and water. More recent programs are considering changes in clinician practices to benefit the environment.
This industry alone is responsible for more than two million tons of waste annually. Some of this waste is destroyed by burning, which is concerning because of the toxins that are released during that process.
Another challenges faced by hospitals is how to control energy utilization, while still operating 24 hours a day. A number of hospitals are reducing energy consumption by turning off lights in vending machines.
A more critical concern is the toxic chemicals that healthcare waste may bring into the environment. One chemical of particular concern is mercury, which was previously used in both blood pressure cuffs and thermometers. The plastic utilized to manufacture tubing and other materials is also of concern.
One ongoing collaborative created to encourage adoption of such policies is the Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E), now part of Practice Greenhealth. This initiative, supported by the federal government, is geared to reducing the environmental footprint of healthcare facilities across the country.
The organization describes a range of practices that hospital and healthcare groups can implement in taking preliminary steps to become more environmentally friendly. It also offers a range of educational tools.
August 20, 2008 Related topics: Facilities, Trends