Tools and resources

Why smarter purchasing?

• Sustainable procurement

The health care industry wields significant purchasing power, representing 17 percent of the U.S. marketplace. However, some of the products marketed to the industry generate unnecessary waste, contain hazardous materials and use excessive energy. By choosing environmentally preferred medical products and equipment for use in hospital facilities, the health care sector can actually generate…

Learn More

Washington State Department of Transportation guide to employee surveys

• Transportation
• Employee transportation
• Guide

(Washington State Department of Transportation) As the employee transportation coordinator or onsite coordinator for your commute trip reduction (CTR) program, you already understand how important this program is to the employees you represent. The CTR survey is one of the most significant contributions toward growing and sustaining an effective, successful CTR program. The feedback from your…

Learn More

Webinar: Recycling pharmaceutical agents used for anesthesia

• Anesthetic Gas
• Greenhouse Gas
• Greening the Operating Room
• Webinar
• Clinician engagement

(Anesthetic gas toolkit) The pharmaceutical agents used for anesthesia and analgesia have environmental impacts on air, water, and climate. Learn about environmental impacts and specific examples of waste drugs in water supplies, as well as regulatory issues and a new process that recovers and reuses pharmaceutical agents. 

Learn More

Webinar: The impact of waste anesthesia gases in the OR and different mitigation strategies

• Anesthetic Gas
• Greenhouse Gas
• Greening the Operating Room
• Clinician engagement
• Webinar

(Anesthetic gas toolkit) This presentation provides an overview of the mechanics of anesthetic gas systems, their environmental impact, and opportunities to reduce energy consumption and mitigate impact.   *Note: At the time of this presentation, different GWP were used for anesthetic gases than what we now use to calculate emissions.   

Learn More

Webinar: Effectively managing waste anesthetic gas

• Webinar
• Anesthetic Gas
• Greenhouse Gas
• Greening the Operating Room
• Clinician engagement

(Anesthetic gas toolkit) Anesthesia, perioperative, biomed, and facilities staff can learn about emerging technologies to reduce scavenger system demand. Gain insight from Practice Greenhealth members and their experiences implementing a dynamic gas scavenger system.  Hear from clinical and technical experts at Cleveland Clinic, the University of Wisconsin, and others as they discuss energy…

Learn More

Hospital highlight: Western Health, Melbourne, Australia

• Anesthetic Gas
• Greenhouse Gas
• Greening the Operating Room
• Case Study
• Clinician engagement
• Global Green and Healthy Hospitals

(Anesthetic gas toolkit) Learn from our international partner, Global Green and Healthy Hospital initiative, about the education for anesthesia providers that resulted in practice change and financial savings for Western Health in Melbourne, Australia.

Learn More

Hospital highlight: Middlemore Hospital Counties Health Board, Auckland, New Zealand

• Anesthetic Gas
• Greening the Operating Room
• Case Study
• Greenhouse Gas
• Clinician engagement
• Global Green and Healthy Hospitals

(Anesthetic gas toolkit) Learn from our international partner, Global Green and Healthy Hospital initiative, about strategies used and lessons learned at Middlemore Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand, to engage anesthesia providers and reduce GHG emissions from anesthetic gases.

Learn More

Hospital highlight: Harborview Medical Center

• Anesthetic Gas
• Greening the Operating Room
• Greenhouse Gas
• Clinician engagement
• Case Study

(Anesthetic gas toolkit) Purchasing new anesthesia machines presented an opportunity for the sustainability and anesthesia teams at Harborview Medical Center to partner with supply chain and clinical engineering to select equipment with environmental attributes like fresh gas flow monitors. New machines helped the organization reduce GHG emissions and costs related to anesthetic gases.

Learn More

Hospital highlight: Seattle Children’s Hospital

• Anesthetic Gas
• Case Study
• Greenhouse Gas
• Greening the Operating Room
• Clinician engagement

(Anesthetic gas toolkit) As a teaching hospital, Seattle Children’s has a high volume of new residents and anesthesia providers, posing a challenge for education and compliance. Learn about the thorough monthly orientation and education strategy they used to reduce GHG emissions from anesthesia. 

Learn More

Hospital highlight: Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center

• Anesthetic Gas
• Greenhouse Gas
• Greening the Operating Room
• Case Study
• Clinician engagement

(Anesthetic gas toolkit) Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center used education to reduce GHG emissions from anesthesia, saving more than $22k for the organization.

Learn More