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OHA Becomes a WasteWise Endorser
The
United States Environmental Protection Agency voluntary WasteWise
Program encourages and supports sustainable healthcare activities by
focusing on reuse, reduction, and recycling; and the green house gas (GHG)
emissions reductions associated with waste reduction. The WasteWise
Program provides a mechanism for U.S. EPA to once again award exceptional
efforts in waste reduction and GHG emission reductions. It is the Agency's
best suited voluntary program to support healthcare sustainability efforts.
WasteWise Information
P2
University
A hands - on approach to evaluate waste systems. Participants learned how to
identify cost saving opportunities for pollution prevention and waste
minimization activities, reviewed the requirements of the Joint Commissions
Environment of Care Standards involving the safe management of hazardous
materials and hazardous wastes, prepare pollution prevention plans and
programs to increase compliance with state and federal laws, and conduct a
thorough audit of a hospital waste stream.
Pharmaceutical Waste Resources
Even if
you missed OHA's 2007 seminar on properly segregating and disposing of hazardous pharmaceutical
wastes, you can still access helpful resources.
►
Managing Pharmaceutical
Waste: A 10-Step Blueprint for Healthcare Facilities
►
Mix and Match
Exercise
►
Implementation of
NIOSH/ASHP Hazardous Drug Standards
Thanks to McConnell Heart Health Center for hosting the Seminar.
Best
Management Practice for Mercury
Ohio EPA Proposing
Mercury Best Management Practices Health e-News May 1, 2007
Draft Ohio EPA Mercury Best Management Practice
Checklist
View a description of the Cleveland Clinic
Foundation's Mercury Discharge
Minimization Program.
Healthcare Facility
Pollution Prevention Planning Kit
Check out a pollution prevention
planning kit, designed by the Ohio Healthy Hospitals Pollution
Prevention Initiative, based on a voluntary working agreement between
the U.S. EPA and the American Hospital Association.
Practice Greenhealth
Practice Greenhealth is the
nation’s leading membership and networking organization for institutions
in the healthcare community that have made a commitment to sustainable,
eco-friendly practices. Members include hospitals, healthcare systems,
businesses and other stakeholders engaged in the greening of healthcare
to improve the health of patients, staff and the environment.
To join:
Global Links - Suture
Recovery Program Saves Lives Overseas
Global Links is dedicated to reducing the amount of still
useful surplus that is needlessly thrown away in the U.S., while helping to
provide hospitals in developing countries with the ability to better treat their
patients and expand services.
Article
or visit
http://www.globallinks.org |
OHA
EnviroNews is a quarterly newsletter
addressing environmental and occupational safety issues.
P2 Roundtable
OHA through its Environmental Leadership Council hosted a roundtable
the presentations were provided by
* Jason Snyder,
TechDisposal: How they can help you with your electronic waste,
including battery recycling programs and new plastic recycling
* Rudy Vingris: Now you know
pharmaceutical
waste is an issue, what do you do next?
* Lisa Meyer, Fisher Titus Medical Center : Starting a composting
program at your hospital—lessons learned
* Joe Goicochea, Ohio EPA Division of Solid & Infectious Waste
Management: Ohio food composting—what and where:
Hospitals Compost,
Seattle,
Vermont
Contact information on Composting
Joe Goicochea, MPH, RS -
joe.goicochea@epa.state.oh.us
Lisa Meyer; Fisher Titus Medical Center -
lmeyer@ftmc.com
E-Waste
The Ohio
Hospital Association partnered with Hospitals for a Healthy Environment
(Practice Greenhealth) to
develop a comprehensive electronic purchasing and recycling (e-waste)
program for the 170 healthcare facilities in the state of Ohio, with the
goal to take the lessons learned to other states.
Making environmentally – responsible purchasing decisions
Environmental Leadership Council
Recommends TechDisposal for e-Waste Disposal
As part of a
deliverable under a 2007-2008 U.S. EPA Region V grant awarded to Hospitals
for a Healthy Environment and OHA, OHA's Environmental Leadership Council
reviewed proposals from several electronic waste disposal businesses and
determined that TechDisposal was most qualified to meet the needs of Ohio
hospitals. One important consideration in reaching that recommendation is
that TechDisposal currently holds the e-waste management contract for all
state government agencies in Ohio. OHA does not endorse any vendor but,
based upon the deliberations of its Environmental Leadership Council,
recommends that hospitals consider TechDisposal when considering their
e-waste needs. For more information, contact: Jason Snyder
614-755-5819 or by email at
jsnyder@techdisposal.com or Susan Zabo 614.738.2186
susanz@ohanet.org
TechDisposal Data
Destruction and Disposal Practices
Risk
Mitigation: IT Asset Disposal Best Practices
Conference Call
Slides - by the Center Environmental Health
**OHA Recognized in National
Publication**
OHA's pollution prevention efforts were recognized in the Oct-Dec issue of
Medical
Waste Management.
The publication, put out by Downing Associates, focused on OHA's impact in
the environmental arena: "The Ohio Hospital Association Empowers Hospitals to
Prevent Pollution and Reduce Waste."
Medical Waste Management
is published quarterly. The yearly subscription cost is $29.95
and can be mailed to 6075 Hopkins Rd, Mentor, OH 44060, ph: 440-257-6453,
fax 440-257-6459.
OHA
Environmental Leadership Council
The OHA
Environmental Leadership Council provides guidance for statewide pollution
prevention and waste reduction initiatives.
John
Chapman Award
2008 Recipient
Huron Hospital
Accepted by A. Gus Kious M.D.
Chief Administrative Officer
Cleveland
Over a three-year period,
Huron Hospital reduced its solid waste by 37 percent from disposal of 50 tons
per month to 32 tons per month. This accomplishment was achieved through paper
and plastic recycling areas, reduction of unnecessary red bag disposal, a switch
in cafeteria plateware from styrofoam to china, recycling of construction
project waste, donation of used furniture and supplies to charity and steering
metal disposal to a metal distributor. Huron also donated over 12,000 pounds of
unused products to charity, recycled 97 tons of cardboard and paper, 276 pounds
of batteries, 58 tons of metal and 210 yards of construction debris. Huron
Hospital is currently working on installation of a windmill to harness
electricity for its parking garage- the first in Ohio.
Past recipients
View
resources
to help hospitals implement prevention programs.
Rick Sites,
General Counsel
ricks@ohanet.org
614.221.7614 x144
Susan Zabo,
Special Project Consultant
susanz@ohanet.org
614.738.2186
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