Chen H. Wen, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics / Hospitals for a Healthy Environment, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, MC-7409M, Washington, DC 20460, 202-564-8849, wen.chen@epa.gov

While the nation’s 7,000 hospitals are busy saving lives, what are they doing to the environment? According to EPA’s 1998 Report to Congress, medical waste incinerators were the 4th largest source of mercury release into the air. It is estimated that the healthcare sector generates over 1 million tons of waste per day. Hospitals use a battery of toxic chemicals for cleaning and sterilization.

How can we reduce the healthcare sector’s environmental impact without reduce the quality of care?

Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E), sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, American Hospital Association, American Nurses Association, and Health Care Without Harm, is an effective voluntary effort that is changing the way healthcare facilities view their environmental responsibility.

H2E has made impressive gains: over 2200 healthcare facilities have signed on to the effort, as have 15 state, 4 of the major Group Purchasing Organizations, and many associations. H2E’s education efforts include monthly teleconference training, a website at www.h2e-online.org, and an active professional listserv with over 800 participants. H2E will be working with the EPA and Joint Commission Resources to provide education materials to the healthcare sector.

H2E’s partners have found that through this effort, hospitals are learning to better segregate their waste and reduce the overall toxicity of the products and waste they produce. As a result, not only are hospitals reducing their waste and saving money from the waste reduction, but creating healthier hospital environments through the use of less toxic chemicals.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss the environmental impact of health care;
• Discuss the impact of a voluntary program -Hospitals for a Healthy Environment - can have on the healthcare sector;
• Disseminate practical ideas for hospital waste reduction and environmental improvement to bring back to healthcare facilities;
• Encourage public health professionals to see hospitals as another area where environmental pollution can be addressed.

Keywords: Environmental Health, EPA

Related Web page: www.h2e-online.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.