Health Care Experts Honor Environmental Leaders, Fight Hospital Waste
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/5/prweb526092.htm
Two-day national summit recognizes excellence in ‘healthy health care,’ tackles pharmaceutical waste management
Minneapolis, MN (PRWEB) May 14, 2007 — Health care experts, advocacy organizations and government administrators gathered in Minneapolis today to address environmentally responsible health care practices and recognize leaders in the movement for ‘healthy health care’ at the 2007 H2E Environmental Excellence Summit. Participants represented more than 100 health care organizations from across the nation committed to reducing waste, eliminating mercury, and improving environmental performance.
"Hospitals and health care organizations across the nation are taking significant strides to improve the environmental footprint of their facilities," said Laura Brannen, Executive Director of Hospitals for a Healthy Environment. "The Summit provides an excellent opportunity to get these experts together to share best practices, recognize outstanding performers, and plan for the future. It’s a very important event for the future of health care."
The two-day Summit included award presentations, winner-led case study sessions, learning seminars, and a full-day pharmaceutical waste management workshop.
Pharmaceutical waste management is a topic on every health care facility manager’s mind. Effectively managing pharmaceutical waste means saving money on waste hauling fees while providing a safer environment for patients, staff, and the community.
"Greening the healthcare industry must extend throughout the supply chain," said Thomas Moore, president of Global Pharmaceuticals at Hospira, a global hospital products company and the Summit’s sponsor. "We’re pleased to help honor industry leaders at the Environmental Excellence Summit, and to ask how we can help improve the quality of patient care through environmentally conscious actions."
At the Summit, H2E honored 128 hospitals, health systems, and health care organizations, including the inaugural inductees into H2E’s Environmental Leadership Circle. Eight new facilities joined 11 repeat winners to win the Environmental Leader Award, the highest award given to health care facilities for outstanding environmental performance. In addition to these leaders, 109 health care institutions across the country received honors across multiple categories.
A full list of winners can be found on H2E’s 2007 award page.
About H2E
Jointly founded by the American Hospital Association, the Environmental Protection Agency, Health Care Without Harm, and the American Nurses Association, H2E is an independent not-for-profit organization focused on improving health care’s environmental performance. H2E envisions a health care system committed to reduced waste volume and toxicity, efficient energy and water use, clean air, safe work practices and safe buildings. For more information, visit the H2E website.
