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How Does Your Practice Measure Up On the "Greening" Scorecard?
Environmental sustainability is not a t-shirt or a marketing tool or something done for "extra credit." Eco-consciousness needs to be guide all aspects of our personal and professional lives. In a busy primary care medical practice, that's a tall order. Fortunately, there's help---in the form of the Green Guide to Health Care's new Operations guidance program. A new non-profit group, Practice Green Health will combine the strengths of three leading eco-medical groups into a single organization.
Vol. 9, No. 1. Spring, 2008
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When Doing the Right Thing Means Choosing the Lesser of a Few Evils
Greater eco-consciousness means making better choices about the materials we use. But sometimes, there are no clear-cut "good" substitutes for toxic materials, and the choice comes down to selecting the least impactful of available options. Case in point: compact fluorescent lightbulbs which save energy but contain mercury.
Vol. 8, No. 4. Winter, 2007
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Medication: It's in the Water
A wealth of recent studies are pointing to a disturbing trend: pharmaceutical residues and active drug metabolites are finding their way into our drinking water. Much of it comes from runoff from agricultural waste. But drugs excreted in human urine or feces, and pills flushed down the toilet also play a big role. The solution? Conscientious prescribing and careful disposal of expired meds.
Vol. 8, No. 3. Fall, 2007
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Healthy Computers: Smart Purchasing to Improve Your Work Environment
Computers have definitely improved our lives, but from a health and environmental viewpoint…well, they’re not all that great. They’re packed with toxic materials, they burn lotsa kilowatts, and they’re pretty hard on the eyes and hands. Fortunately, a growing number of computer designers are developing cleaner, greener and healthier machines.
Vol. 8, No. 2. Summer, 2007
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So, You Want to Buy a New Computer?
Before you go out get that new G5 or the latest Blackberry, stop and think about what you plan to do with your old ones. Forty million computers-laden with lead, cadmium, chlorinated plastics, and other tech-toxins- are disposed of annually. Only 11% are properly recycled.
Vol. 7, No. 4. Winter, 2006
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Surf's Up! Green Health Care Grows From a Ripple to a Wave
Over the last decade, there has been a tremendous increase in eco-consciousness in the health care industry, and this has led to a corresponding increase in the number of green cleaning products, building materials, and medical supplies now available. But not everything is as green as it may seem. Fortunately, there has also been a big increase in the number of information resources available to help guide ecologically minded health care professionals.
Vol. 7, No. 3. Fall, 2006
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Outpatient Clinics Honored for Superior Environmental Performance
The Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E), annual Environmental Leadership Awards honor hospitals, health systems and clinics who've demonstrated superior performance in eliminating mercury, reducing waste, and implementing eco-standards. This year's award winners show that small outpatient clinics can make as big a difference as large medical centers.
Vol. 7, No. 2. Summer, 2006
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Making Medicine Mercury-Free: Major Steps Forward
Working with hospitals and clinics throughout the country, Hospitals for a Healthy Environment has made major progress in reducing the level of mercury pollution coming from the health care industry.
Vol. 6, No. 4. Winter, 2005
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Emerging Trends-Designing Green and Saving Green
Over the last 5 years, health care leaders have begun to recognize the value of making their facilities more earth-friendly. Successful projects abound, and resources for "greening" health care have never been more available.
Vol. 6, No. 6. Fall, 2005
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Envisioning a Healthier Healthcare Environment
Would you like your hospital or medical clinic to be healthier, less toxic, and more environmentally conscious? Don't be afraid to dream, because a number of new organizations and websites are providing practical, how-to information to make those dreams a reality.
Vol. 6, No. 2. Summer, 2005
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Integrated Pest Management: Vanquishing Vermin Without Harming Ourselves, Staff and Patients
Ants, flies, roaches and other creepy crawlers are very unwelcome guests in health care facilities. But highly toxic pesticides are not the best way to get rid of them, especially given what we know about the health consequences of many common insecticides. A look at less-toxic alternatives.
Vol. 6, No. 1. Spring, 2005
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Treating Headlice Without Toxins
For many families, back-to-school season means confrontations with pesky head lice. Unfortunately, many of the products commonly used to rid children of lice contain lindane or other highly toxic pesticides. A look at less-toxic alternatives.
Vol. 5, No. 3. Fall, 2004
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Can Health Care Afford to be Environmentally Responsible?
Janet Brown, Holistic Primary Care's resident medical environmentalist, recently moved from Beth Israel Hospital in New York, to the Hospitals for a Healthy Environment Project, a non-profit group that helps hospitals and clinics get right with Mother Nature. In the transition, she ponders the challenges of medical environmentalism and the progress made over the last decade.
Vol. 5, No. 2. Summer, 2004
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Creating a Green & Clean Clinic
By reducing the number of toxic solvents used in daily practice, and shifting to safer, eco-friendly disinfectant compounds, medical clinics can greatly reduce the amount of toxic chemicals they put into the environment.
Vol. 4, No. 4. Winter, 2003
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HIPAA - HIPAA - HELP! Secure Disposal of Patient Health Information
The health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act has created a lot of headaches for physicians, not the least of which is how to dispose of paperwork containing confidential patient information in an environmentally conscious way. Janet Brown, our medical environmentalist, provides some thoughts.
Vol. 4, No. 3. July, 2003
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Different Shades of Green: The Spectrum of Green Construction
Physicians who are remodeling their offices or building new clinics have a big opportunity to make a positive environmental impact by carefully selecting eco-friendly building materials. Even in existing facilities, small changes like installing low-flush toilets or using energy-saving light bulbs can have big effects over time.
Vol. 4, No. 2. April, 2003
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Respectful Environments, Environmental Respect: Taking Responsibility for the Impact of Our Work Practices
Respect for the environment begins with respect for our workspaces and our colleagues. In today's high-pressure, cost-conscious health care environment, it can be very difficult to maintain a healthy, safe and nurturing workspace. But a little effort goes a long way in terms of staff morale and patient satisfaction.
Vol. 3, No. 3. October 15, 2002
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Keeping it Clean: A Guide to Disinfecting Reusable Medical Equipment
Glutaraldehyde and other chemical disinfectants widely used for cleaning medical equipment are toxic, and need to be used very carefully. A guide to reducing the risks associated with common medical disinfectants.
Vol. 3, No. 2. June 15, 2002
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Patients' Home Medical Waste May Be Your Responsibility
The number of chronic disease patients who must treat themselves at home is rising rapidly, meaning that there are more needles, syringes, and blood and body fluid contaminants and other medical waste in ordinary household garbage.
Vol. 3, No. 1. April 15, 2002
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Handling OSHA's Hazard Communication Standards
If a chemical has a warning label on it, you need to be very careful about how it is used and disposed of, especially in health care clinics, where solvents, cleaning products, mercury containing substances, and a host of toxic chemicals are used routinely. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has guidelines for handling most of the chemicals used in health care settings.
Vol. 2, No. 3. June 15, 2001
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Get a Grip on Tech Trash
The rapid evolution of computer and communication technology has created a glut of tech trash. Janet Brown offers tips on what to do with those old computers, cell phones, and other outmoded electronic paperweights.
Vol. 2, No. 2. April 15, 2001
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One Stop on the Toxic Voyage
Medical practitioners seldom consider where the materials they use in daily practice come from or where they go once discarded. But it is important to realize that many disposable medical devices contain polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which gives off dioxin when produced and when incinerated. Likewise, mercury in devices like thermometers easily ends up as an environmental toxin. Tips on reducing PVC and mercury in the medical waste stream.
Vol. 2, No. 1. February 15, 2001
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Non-Regulated medical Waste: Getting The Most From Your Waste Hauler
Physicians and medical clinics can save a lot of money and reduce their negative environmental impact by negotiating more carefully with their waste haulers.
Vol. 1, No. 2. December 15, 2000
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Welcome to Greening Your Practice
In aggregate, the nation's hospitals generate roughly 6,600 tons of garbage each day. Add to that, the trash from hundreds of thousands of individual physician practices, and you have a major waste management challenge. Janet Brown, Medical Waste Manager for New York City's Beth Israel Medical Center shares tips that will help cut waste and save money.
Vol. 1, No. 1. October 15, 2000
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