"It's not easy being green," Kermit the Frog once said. But Florida hospitals are finding that being green not only can be easy, but also can reap cost savings too.
Going green efforts range from adjusting daily operations to building new hospitals that are environmentally "healthy." Here's a sample.
Case study of an innovative program
Employees at Baptist Health's South Miami Hospital teamed up to devise an easy way to handle pharmaceutical waste, something nurses see every day. In 2002, the U.S. Geological Service reported that one or more of 95 waste contaminants were found in 80% of the 139 American streams sampled; the majority of those contaminants were pharmaceuticals. Hospitals must now comply with requirements set by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) or face government fines beginning at $40,000 per day.
Michelle Leavis, BA, manager of pharmacy special programs, led the South Miami team. "Pharmaceutical waste is sorted into two bins: a blue bin for general pharmaceutical waste, and a purple bin for dual waste," she says. The bins are located in the pharmacy and on every nursing unit. Environmental services removes full bins and replaces them with empty ones. An outside vendor sorts the waste, removes it, and transports it to the final incineration point in Ohio.
Facility champions at the five Baptist Health hospitals support the effort. South Miami's champion is Lee Streater, RN, BS, CNOR, nurse manager for a medical/surgical telemetry unit. Both Leavis and Streater advise educating staff and physicians before placing the bins. Laminated cards and a reference guide can supplement the education, and Leavis is developing an online education presentation.
Simplicity keeps nursing time to a minimum. The pharmacy color-codes medications blue or purple, so nurses can toss waste into the right bin. "Our nurses' time and skills are valuable," says Streater. "We want them taking care of patients, not sorting pharmaceutical waste."
"This doesn't change the red-bag waste, sharps disposal, or controlled substance procedures," Leavis adds. Compliance with the system is about 90%. The vendor issues a report for any mishandled waste. Because each bin is labeled, units receive feedback about how they are doing.
Healthy buildings
In December 2007, Parish Healthcare Center at Port St. John became the first hospital in Florida to receive Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification, the third-highest rating for environmental friendliness, from the nonprofit U.S. Green Building Council. Another project is Shands at the University of Florida Cancer Hospital, which is under construction. Brad Pollitt, vice president of facilities for Shands HealthCare, says environmental impact is factored into building decisions whenever possible.
"We feel it's the right thing to do," says Pollitt. Means to improve energy efficiencies form the core of sustainability. Examples include better insulation glass for windows, and devices on air conditioners to recapture any cooling before the air is exhausted. One way Shands worked to achieve LEED certification was to recycle 96% of the building that was originally on the site of the new hospital, says Pollitt. Choosing local materials, selecting environmentally safe paint, installing rubber flooring, and using reclaimed water for the hospital's cooling towers all contribute to a green building.
The hospital will encourage energy savings by putting in staff showers and bike racks, and allowing employees who drive hybrid cars to park closer to the building. Big windows that allow plenty of daylight are intended to have positive psychological effects on staff and patients and reduce daytime lighting loads.
"We try to be ecofriendly and sustainable," Pollitt says. The hospital will seek LEED status when it opens in 2009.
What about the bottom line?
Hospitals are learning that healthy buildings contribute to a healthy bottom line. "Most of the cost savings come from energy efficiencies," says Pollitt. The new Shands facility will have its own energy plant, complete with a gas turbine generator. Through a partnership with the local utility, Gainesville Regional Utility, heat will be captured and turned into steam. Part of the steam will be run through a steam chiller, and the rest will go to the hospital's heating requirements. "The energy savings will be enough to heat 2,000 homes," he says.
But you don't have to have a new building to save money. "It costs five times more to dispose red-bag waste than regular waste," says Pat O'Rourke, RN, BS, CHCM, CSHM, a corporate safety coordinator for Broward Health. That makes reducing unnecessary red-bag waste both environmentally and economically sensible. O'Rourke used an education program consisting of classes, fliers, and making rounds to encourage nurses to be more conscious of keeping the environment healthy. Her efforts resulted in a 46% decrease in red-bag waste.
Raising awareness
As members of the country's most trusted profession, nurses are excellent advocates for the environment. The Florida Nurses Association (FNA) is becoming increasingly active in the environmental area, according to Leslie Homsted, RN, director of professional practice advocacy. FNA's activities include offering continuing education programs on environmental health and informational articles in the organization's newsletter. Homsted says nurses should ask if their hospitals belong to Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E). Another strategy is to get involved in product evaluation, safety, or "green" committees. "You don't have to do big things," says Homsted. "It's just taking small steps."
"We have to make it easy for people to be environmentally conscious," O'Rourke adds. She finds that nurses care about reducing the cost of handling certain kinds of waste and ways to reduce landfill refuse, such as recycling shredded documents. She suggests nurses join environmental organizations specific to health care. "They get nurses enthusiastic about what they can do."
"We pride ourselves on keeping patients safe: safe from falls, infection, wrong meds, and so much more," says Homsted. "Promoting environmental health is simply another way to advocate safety for our patients — and our communities."
Cynthia Saver, RN, MS, is president of CLS Development Inc.
Going green efforts range from adjusting daily operations to building new hospitals that are environmentally "healthy." Here's a sample.
Case study of an innovative program
Employees at Baptist Health's South Miami Hospital teamed up to devise an easy way to handle pharmaceutical waste, something nurses see every day. In 2002, the U.S. Geological Service reported that one or more of 95 waste contaminants were found in 80% of the 139 American streams sampled; the majority of those contaminants were pharmaceuticals. Hospitals must now comply with requirements set by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) or face government fines beginning at $40,000 per day.
Michelle Leavis, BA, manager of pharmacy special programs, led the South Miami team. "Pharmaceutical waste is sorted into two bins: a blue bin for general pharmaceutical waste, and a purple bin for dual waste," she says. The bins are located in the pharmacy and on every nursing unit. Environmental services removes full bins and replaces them with empty ones. An outside vendor sorts the waste, removes it, and transports it to the final incineration point in Ohio.
Facility champions at the five Baptist Health hospitals support the effort. South Miami's champion is Lee Streater, RN, BS, CNOR, nurse manager for a medical/surgical telemetry unit. Both Leavis and Streater advise educating staff and physicians before placing the bins. Laminated cards and a reference guide can supplement the education, and Leavis is developing an online education presentation.
Simplicity keeps nursing time to a minimum. The pharmacy color-codes medications blue or purple, so nurses can toss waste into the right bin. "Our nurses' time and skills are valuable," says Streater. "We want them taking care of patients, not sorting pharmaceutical waste."
"This doesn't change the red-bag waste, sharps disposal, or controlled substance procedures," Leavis adds. Compliance with the system is about 90%. The vendor issues a report for any mishandled waste. Because each bin is labeled, units receive feedback about how they are doing.
Healthy buildings
In December 2007, Parish Healthcare Center at Port St. John became the first hospital in Florida to receive Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification, the third-highest rating for environmental friendliness, from the nonprofit U.S. Green Building Council. Another project is Shands at the University of Florida Cancer Hospital, which is under construction. Brad Pollitt, vice president of facilities for Shands HealthCare, says environmental impact is factored into building decisions whenever possible.
"We feel it's the right thing to do," says Pollitt. Means to improve energy efficiencies form the core of sustainability. Examples include better insulation glass for windows, and devices on air conditioners to recapture any cooling before the air is exhausted. One way Shands worked to achieve LEED certification was to recycle 96% of the building that was originally on the site of the new hospital, says Pollitt. Choosing local materials, selecting environmentally safe paint, installing rubber flooring, and using reclaimed water for the hospital's cooling towers all contribute to a green building.
The hospital will encourage energy savings by putting in staff showers and bike racks, and allowing employees who drive hybrid cars to park closer to the building. Big windows that allow plenty of daylight are intended to have positive psychological effects on staff and patients and reduce daytime lighting loads.
"We try to be ecofriendly and sustainable," Pollitt says. The hospital will seek LEED status when it opens in 2009.
What about the bottom line?
Hospitals are learning that healthy buildings contribute to a healthy bottom line. "Most of the cost savings come from energy efficiencies," says Pollitt. The new Shands facility will have its own energy plant, complete with a gas turbine generator. Through a partnership with the local utility, Gainesville Regional Utility, heat will be captured and turned into steam. Part of the steam will be run through a steam chiller, and the rest will go to the hospital's heating requirements. "The energy savings will be enough to heat 2,000 homes," he says.
But you don't have to have a new building to save money. "It costs five times more to dispose red-bag waste than regular waste," says Pat O'Rourke, RN, BS, CHCM, CSHM, a corporate safety coordinator for Broward Health. That makes reducing unnecessary red-bag waste both environmentally and economically sensible. O'Rourke used an education program consisting of classes, fliers, and making rounds to encourage nurses to be more conscious of keeping the environment healthy. Her efforts resulted in a 46% decrease in red-bag waste.
Raising awareness
As members of the country's most trusted profession, nurses are excellent advocates for the environment. The Florida Nurses Association (FNA) is becoming increasingly active in the environmental area, according to Leslie Homsted, RN, director of professional practice advocacy. FNA's activities include offering continuing education programs on environmental health and informational articles in the organization's newsletter. Homsted says nurses should ask if their hospitals belong to Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E). Another strategy is to get involved in product evaluation, safety, or "green" committees. "You don't have to do big things," says Homsted. "It's just taking small steps."
"We have to make it easy for people to be environmentally conscious," O'Rourke adds. She finds that nurses care about reducing the cost of handling certain kinds of waste and ways to reduce landfill refuse, such as recycling shredded documents. She suggests nurses join environmental organizations specific to health care. "They get nurses enthusiastic about what they can do."
"We pride ourselves on keeping patients safe: safe from falls, infection, wrong meds, and so much more," says Homsted. "Promoting environmental health is simply another way to advocate safety for our patients — and our communities."
Cynthia Saver, RN, MS, is president of CLS Development Inc.
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