Sterilmed Joins Practice Greenhealth’s Greening the OR® Initiative
Reston, VA (PRWEB) August 19, 2013 -- Sterilmed joins Practice Greenhealth’s Greening the OR® Initiative.
Medical device reprocessing company supports sustainability in the operating room.
Practice Greenhealth announced today that Sterilmed has signed on as a supporter of one of the non-profit’s major initiatives focused on greening the operating room. Sterilmed, a leader in the reprocessing industry, is the latest business to join the Greening the OR® Initiative. Reprocessing single-use medical devices is one of the strategies identified to not only significantly reduce the environmental impact of the OR, but also to reduce supply costs by almost 50 percent. In conjunction with joining the Greening the OR® Initiative, Sterilmed is sponsoring an award for outstanding OR sustainability efforts to be awarded at CleanMed 2014. Hospitals showcasing superior OR sustainability improvements and outcomes are eligible for this honor.
Sterilmed President, Mike Gustafson states: “Utilizing green initiatives and strategies is no longer a choice, rather a necessity in the healthcare sector. Core to our mission, and that of Johnson & Johnson, is helping our customers protect the earth and its natural resources and by joining the Greening the OR Initiative we are proud to continue to fulfill on that promise.”
Hospitals are energy and resource intensive, and operating rooms are the largest users of that energy. They are also a major consumer of resources, using as much as 56 percent of a hospital’s total budget. In addition, operating rooms produce a disproportional amount of waste — between 20 and 30 percent of a hospital’s total waste volume. To help hospitals run more efficient and environmentally-friendly operating rooms, Practice Greenhealth introduced the Greening the Operating Room® Initiative, which helps hospitals reduce environmental impact, reduce costs, increase efficiency, and improve worker and patient safety.
“We are thrilled to welcome Sterilmed to the growing numbers of sponsors of this important Initiative,” said Laura Wenger, Executive Director of Practice Greenhealth. “Change will not be effected in the healthcare sector without a broad coalition of manufacturers, suppliers and healthcare providers who are working together to create a greener future for our nation’s hospitals.”
Sterilmed joins a large number of participating hospitals, healthcare companies, for-profit companies, and group purchasing organizations that are working to implement large scale green efforts to reduce waste, trim water and energy use, and create markets for EPP products.
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About Practice Greenhealth:
Practice Greenhealth is the nation’s leading membership and networking organization for institutions in healthcare that have made a commitment to sustainable, eco-friendly practices. To learn more about Practice Greenhealth’s Greening the OR® Initiative, visit http://www.greeningtheor.org .
About Sterilmed:
Sterilmed partners with healthcare facilities to deliver maximum cost savings through proven, simple solutions that drive economic and environmental sustainability. As an FDA-regulated reprocessor, Sterilmed is held to the same standards for cleanliness, sterilization and functionality as the original equipment manufacturer. Sterilmed enables hospitals and medical facilities to reduce device costs and medical waste, allowing healthcare facilities to free up critical financial resources while maintaining the highest levels of patient safety. Sterilmed is a member of the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies. For more information, please visit Sterilmed.com.
Sherry MacDonald, Practice Greenhealth, (703) 870-7494, [email protected]
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