Sustainability Program Progress Reports

Progress reports are provided to the Safety Committee on a regular basis, and will be provided here for your information.

***

Sustainability Update

1st Quarter FY 12-13

John Danby, Sustainability Administrator

October 15, 2013

Highlights from the first quarter include:

  • Two Strategic Plan elements guide the actions of the Sustainability Program and the Sustainability Subcommittee: 2.4 “Demonstrated Value”, and 7.5 “Environmental Stewardship. These elements will be discussed with the Subcommittee at the October meeting, and are attached for Committee review. [link to Strat Plan page within the Sus site]
  • UCDHS is planning to participate in the Healthier Hospitals Initiative, a 3-year program associated with Practice Greenhealth and sponsored by Kaiser Permanente, Dignity Health, Tenet, Bon Secors, and other large, national health systems. Participants will commit to pursuing one or more of six challenges, including: Engaged Leadership, Healthier Food, Leaner Energy, Less Waste, Safer Chemicals, and Smarter Purchasing. We anticipate that all five UC Medical Centers will participate to some extent. Information on the Healthier Hospitals Initiative is attached.
  • Waste Diversion/Sustainable Purchasing
    The reprocessing of Single Use Medical Devices (SUDs) program commenced over a year ago with the collection of non-invasive devices for reprocessing by an off-site, FDA-licensed vendor, Hygia. Examples of such devices include Alternative Leg Pressure cuffs. The Hygia rep set up collection stations in appropriate areas where used devices can be deposited, then collects the materials for shipping to the reprocessing facility on a regular basis. The success of this program led to the introduction of a vendor, Stryker Sustainability, which could reprocess invasive devices. Collection stations were established in all ORs and similar locations where invasive procedures are conducted.
    Key to this program is the ability to purchase these reprocessed devices at a significant discount from OEM prices. While such purchases are contingent on, and have been limited by, physician acceptance and OEM contract flexibility, FY 11-12 saw savings of almost $200,000 associated with this program. In addition, seven tons of wastes were diverted from the medical waste container and eventual landfilling.
    Reprocessing savings in Quarter 1 approached $125,000, with 2½ tons of material diverted from landfills.

***

Sustainability Update

4th Quarter FY 11-12

John Danby, Sustainability Administrator

August 10, 2012

Highlights from the fourth quarter include:

  • As the Strategic Plan Environmental Stewardship/Sustainability Implementation Plan is still under development, meetings of the Sustainability Subcommittee were suspended pending the completion of the planning process for the Implementation Plan. The Subcommittee will commence quarterly meetings in FY 12-13.
  • Several sustainability initiatives showed progress during the quarter.
  • Waste Diversion: No news for the fourth quarter.
  • Waste Diversion/Sustainable Purchasing: The program for the reprocessing of single-use medical devices continues to expand, and cost savings show monthly increases. For example, savings in non-invasive devices, such as alternative leg pressure cuffs, average over $5,000 per month. A full review for the 4th quarter will be presented in the next report.
  • Energy Efficiency: The energy efficiency retrofit at the Davis PCN Clinic will have about 25 percent ($36K) of the cost covered by a rebate from PG&E under the UC Strategic Energy Partnership Program.
  • Green Buildings: No news for the fourth quarter.
  • Water Use Reduction: No news for the fourth quarter.
  • Waste Diversion: A project in the Main OR and CSC has reduced red bag waste and increased recycling. Cost savings for red bag waste is estimated at $30,000 annually. The two Sanitec units, formerly used for treatment of medical waste, have been removed from the Back Dock; the space will be repurposed for waste diversion activities.
  • Practice Greenhealth: UCDHS was awarded Practice Greenhealth’s “Partner for Change” award at the CleanMed 2012 conference.

***

Sustainability Update

3rd Quarter FY 11-12

John Danby, Sustainability Administrator

May 10, 2012

Highlights from the third quarter include:

  • As the Strategic Plan Environmental Stewardship/Sustainability Implementation Plan is still under development, meetings of the Sustainability Subcommittee were suspended pending the completion of the planning process for the Implementation Plan.
  • Several sustainability initiatives showed progress during the quarter.
  • Waste Diversion: Allied Waste Services initiated service at the beginning of the third quarter. In taking over the service from UC Davis, Allied initially retained the same service schedule. Audits showed that several service points could either be eliminated or scaled back, resulting in an annual savings of $35,000. Additional efficiencies are being considered.
  • Waste Diversion/Sustainable Purchasing: The program for the reprocessing of single-use medical devices continues to expand, and cost savings show monthly increases. For example, savings in non-invasive devices, such as alternative leg pressure cuffs, average over $5,000 per month. A full review for the 4th quarter will be presented in the next report.
  • Energy Efficiency: We were able to tap into two rebate programs from the Cal Energy Commission’s Energy Technology Assistance Program, by which we installed bilevel LED lighting in the stairwells of ACC and Davis Tower. The rebate of approximately $24,000 paid 90% of the cost of the new fixtures, which were installed by the PO&M Electric Shop.
  • Green Buildings: No news for the third quarter.
  • Water Use Reduction: No news for the third quarter.
  • Waste Diversion: Service changes in the confidential document management program with Viking Shred has provided annual cost savings of ~$30,000. A project is underway in the Main OR and CSC to reduce red bag waste; implementation, anticipated in 4th quarter, should yield significant reductions and provide generous cost savings.
  • Practice Greenhealth: UCDHS applied for Practice Greenhealth’s “Partner for Change” award in January; winners will be announced in May at the CleanMed 2012 conference.
  • CA Higher Education Sustainability Conference: Two UCDHS employees will be making presentations at this conference, which will be held at UC Davis June 18-21. Leigh Clary, RN, will describe the efforts to implement a recycling program in an emergency department, and Value Analyst Sally Lee will present on our path to implementing a program for the reprocessing of single-use medical devices.

***

Sustainability Update

2nd Quarter FY 11-12

John Danby, Sustainability Administrator

March 12, 2012

Highlights from the second quarter include:

  • Meetings were held to discuss the Strategic Plan Environmental Stewardship/Sustainability Implementation Plan. As the Plan will have a significant impact on sustainability initiatives at the Health System, meetings of the Sustainability Subcommittee were suspended pending the completion of the planning process for the Implementation Plan.
  • Several sustainability initiatives showed progress during the quarter.
  • Waste Diversion: UCDHS selected Allied Waste Services as the vendor to manage refuse and recycling services for the Medical Center. This will permit the implementation of enhanced programs in many aspects of waste diversion.
  • Waste Diversion/Sustainable Purchasing: Value Analyst Sally Lee launched a program for reprocessing of single-use medical devices in the ORs and other locations. The program continues to expand, and waste diversion and cost savings data will be communicated in the 3rd quarter update.
  • Energy Efficiency: A Customer Advanced Technology program grant was secured from SMUD. This $50,000 grant will pay for equipment associated with a trial lighting retrofit program in the Central Plant. Construction is planned for the 4th quarter.
    A PG&E consultant conducted an audit of the FN&S kitchens to identify energy efficiency opportunities and equipment that could be replaced under the PG&E rebate program. The consultant’s report will be delivered in the third quarter.
  • Green Buildings: No news for the second quarter.
  • Water Use Reduction: Subcommittee member Mike Lewis participated in the development of the systemwide Water Use Reduction policy, which should be incorporated into the UCOP Sustainable Practices Policy next year. Lewis reports that results from water efficiency initiatives at DHS have already exceeded the goal set in the draft policy.
  • Waste Diversion: Planning continues on several initiatives that will be launched in the third quarter, including enhanced cardboard recycling and an expansion of the single stream recycling program.

***