About Practice Greenhealth
In addition to sponsoring and bestowing the Environmental Excellence Awards, Practice Greenhealth is a source for environmental solutions for the health care sector and lends support to create better, safer, greener workplaces and communities.
What is 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, health care systems, businesses and other stakeholders engaged in the greening of health care to improve the health of patients, staff and the environment.
What are Practice Greenhealth’s goals?
Sustainable health care that’s good for the environment, good for patients and staff, and good for the bottom line means action plans to eliminate mercury, reduce and recycle solid waste, reduce regulated and chemical waste, reduce energy and water consumption, create healing environments and establish green purchasing policies. Our overriding goals:
· Prevent, reduce and otherwise generate less waste in the health care sector
· Achieve carbon neutrality in healthcare
· Reduce energy and water usage
· Build, renovate and purchase responsibly
· Demonstrate mission through respectful work environments
· Engage community on environmental sustainability in design, construction,
and operations
· Lead the way in responsible buildings and operations
· Increase recycling programs
· Phase out hazardous substances and toxic chemicals
What are the Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellence Awards?
Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellence Awards recognize health care facilities and organizational members for their demonstrated commitment to environmental practices and sustainability. The Awards are presented annually and held in conjunction with CleanMed, the global conference for environmental leaders in health care. Award categories:
Partner Recognition – This Award is reserved for facilities taking important first steps to improve environmental performance. Number of 2012 Award Recipients: 53
Making Medicine Mercury-Free – Awarded to facilities where mercury has been virtually eliminated. These facilities exhibit an ongoing mercury-free commitment, and have established recycling, management and purchasing policies. Number of 2012 Award Recipients: 22
Partner for Change – Presented to facilities working to improve and expand upon their programs to eliminate mercury, reduce waste and prevent pollution. Facilities have successful pollution prevention programs, recycle at least 15 percent of their total waste, are working toward total mercury elimination and have several successful programs underway. Number of 2012 Award Recipients: 97
Partner for Change, with Distinction – One of our newer awards, presented to health care facilities that haveachievedimprovements in their mercury elimination, waste reduction, and pollution prevention programs (beyond the Partner for Change basic criteria.) This includes at least 20 percent recycling, 10 percent or less Regulated Medical Waste, a more extensive sustainability program, and more programs covering a wider range of areas (such as food, energy, water, chemical minimization, and more), as well as a show of leadership in the local community and/or in the health care sector. Number of 2012 Award Recipients: 44
System for Change – Awarded to Health Systems working cohesively to gather data, set goals, benchmark, share successes and encourage eco-friendly practices. To qualify, the health system must include at least five hospitals/care facilities – 20 percent of the System’s facilities must also apply for a Partner for Change award. Number of 2012 Award Recipients: 10
Champion for Change – Presented to our business and organizational members to recognize their success in greening their own organization and helping others (clients, members, customers) to improve environmental performance. Environmental initiatives and support for Practice Greenhealth programs are also taken into consideration. Number of 2012 Award Recipients: 18
Champion for Change, with Distinction – Champion for Change, with Distinction – Our newest award is a competitive award presented to our business and organizational members who have well-established environmental programs, shown progress in both greening their own operations and in helping their customers achieve environmental success, and have achieved particular excellence in the area of chemical responsibility--tracking and addressing toxic or untested chemicals that are part of their supply chain or products, or contribute to the products and equipment used in their organizational operations. Number of 2012 Award Recipients: 2
DEHP-Free – Presented to one healthcare facility that has demonstrated the most success with replacing DEHP-containing medical devices with safer alternatives, particularly with vulnerable patient populations. This is a competitive award, made possible through the generous support of Hospira, maker of DEHP-free VisIV® Containers. Number of 2012 Award Recipients: 1
Environmental Leadership Circle – The premier Award reserved for facilities and systems exemplifying environmental excellence in health care. Criteria include: qualification for the Making Medicine Mercury-Free award, a minimum 25 percent waste recycling, implementation of numerous pollution prevention programs and demonstrated leadership in the community. Facilities receiving an Environmental Leadership Award are inducted into the elite Environmental Leadership Circle. Number of 2012 Award Recipients: six new inductees, 28 total Environmental Leadership Circle Members.
For more information go to www.practicegreenhealth.org/awards/