Christiana Care Health System Environmental Stewardship Annual Report FISCAL YEAR
2010
Table of Contents I. Mission of the Environmental Stewardship Committee Page 2 II. Committee Membership Page 3
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Mission of the Environmental Stewardship Committee
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Executive Summary
III. Executive Summary Page 4
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IV. Fiscal Year 2010 Goals, Progress, and Status Page 5 V. Other Sustainable Initiatives Page 10 VI. Financial Impact of Fiscal Year 2010 Goals and Other Initiatives Page 12
FY 2010 Goals, Progress and status
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Other Sustainable Initiatives
VII. Internal and External Communications Page 13 VIII.Recognition Page 14 IX. Fiscal Year 2011 Goals Page 15
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Internal and External Communications
ChRISTIana CaRE hEalTh SYSTEM • Environmental Stewardship annual Report FY 2010
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I. e Mission of the Environmental Stewardship Committee
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o reduce the environmental footprint of Christiana Care operations in a financially responsible manner by establishing operating practices that minimize the use of scarce natural resources, maximize use of renewable resources, increase recycling, and reduce waste.
ChRISTIana CaRE hEalTh SYSTEM • Environmental Stewardship annual Report FY 2010
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II. Committee Membership Bob Mulrooney Lisa Abbott Regina Dallago
Vice President, Facilities and Services — Chairperson Patient Escort Supervisor Project Manager, Design and Construction
Ann Darwicki
Registered nurse
Debbie Dibert
Patient Care Coordinator, neuro/Spine
Michael Frawley Kimberly Frey Jason Funyak Janelle Heisler Nadia Hellenga
Procurement Manager, nutrition Services Registered nurse, IV nursing Director, Environmental Services administrative Resident, Facilities and Services Doctor of Pharmacy and Clinical Pharmacist, Kidney Transplant
Jill Karpinski
Corporate Director, Facilities Engineering
Kate Klemas
Senior Marketing Communications Manager
Jeff Krebs Michelle Lauer Jay Moorhead Nora Protokowicz
Mechanical Engineering Manager, Facilities Engineering Patient Care Coordinator Director of Communications, External affairs Infection Preventionist
Sandra Reddy
Registered nurse, MRI nursing
Barbara Riegel, RN
Patient Relations nurse liaison
Laura Schaeffer
Medical Technologist, Microbiology
Elena Schumacher
Registered Dietician, Cancer Center
Anthony Sciotto Maureen Simpson-White Marcus Suhr Donna Swain Burt Wilson Lauren Winnington
Manager, Information Technology Corporate Director, Food and nutrition Services Industrial hygienist, Occupational Safety IT administrative Coordinator Senior Contract Manager, Purchasing administrative assistant, Public Safety
ChRISTIana CaRE hEalTh SYSTEM • Environmental Stewardship annual Report FY 2010
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III. Executive Summary
aS PaRT OF ITS MISSIOn TO IMPROVE ThE hEalTh OF ThE COMMunITY, Christiana Care has a responsibility to ensure that it is
taking steps to reduce its environmental footprint. healthcare facilities are “among the highest users of energy, the highest producers of waste, and a major consumer of paper, water, food, and other resources.”1
In 2005, Christiana Care recognized an opportunity to greatly improve environmental sustainability, achieve large financial savings, and be at the forefront of a growing industry trend. as a result, the Environmental Stewardship Committee was created to provide guidance and direction to Christiana Care in its efforts to “go green.” e 25-member multidisciplinary committee currently includes representation from many departments across the hospital including: Environmental Services, External affairs, Facilities Engineering, Food and nutrition Services, Infection Control, Information Technology, nursing, Occupational Safety, Pathology and laboratory Medicine, Patient Escort Services, Pharmacy, Purchasing, and Radiology. In addition, 50 Environmental Champions have voluntarily become involved and represent various units and departments. e purpose of the Environmental Stewardship Committee and the Environmental Champions is to develop systemwide environmentally sustainable initiatives. eir goal is to reduce the environmental footprint of Christiana Care operations in a financially responsible manner by establishing operating practices that minimize the use of scarce natural resources, maximize the use of renewable resources, increase recycling, and reduce waste. Over the past few years, the Environmental Stewardship Committee has made great strides in helping Christiana Care to reduce its environmental impact and realize significant opportunities for financial savings. is annual report will highlight the goals and achievements of the Environmental Stewardship Committee and its volunteers. In addition, goals and future initiatives for FY 2011 will be presented.
1. Practice Greenhealth Eco-Checklist for Operations ChRISTIana CaRE hEalTh SYSTEM • Environmental Stewardship annual Report FY 2010
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IV. Fiscal Year 2010 Goals, Progress, and Status 1. WaSTE REDuCTIOn PROJECT In JulY 2007, ChRISTIana CaRE entered
into a contract with antos Environmental to provide consulting services for a waste reduction project at Christiana and Wilmington hospitals. e project included two primary objectives: a reduction in regulated medical waste and the establishment of a paper, bottle, and can recycling program. a significant reduction in the quantity of regulated medical waste generated at the hospital was achieved as a result of this project. e containers used to ship regulated medical waste were changed from cardboard containers to reusable plastic tubs. In addition, hospital staff has been educated on several aspects of waste reduction including the difference between regulated medical waste and everyday waste. is education made staff more aware of the need to segregate waste properly. Consequently, the amount of regulated medical waste has decreased by over 50% at both hospitals. e project also included the establishment of a comprehensive recycling program. a compactor has been dedicated to commingled recyclables such as plastic bottles, glass bottles, and cans at each hospital. In FY 2010, a contract was established with a vendor to shred and recycle paper materials. Cardboard is collected, bailed, and removed by the same vendor for recycling. In FY 2010, the total recycling rate for Christiana and Wilmington hospitals was over 15% which translates into over 1,472,330 pounds of recycled waste. e long-term goal is to achieve more than a 25% recycling rate.
ChRISTIana CaRE hEalTh SYSTEM • Environmental Stewardship annual Report FY 2010
50% reduction realized in the amount of regulated medical waste at both hospitals.
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2. enerGy anD Water reDUCtiOn Plan in 2007, Christiana Care contracted with american energy assets to complete an energy survey of the Christiana and Wilmington hospitals. Findings and recommendations were submitted in 2008. rough the completion of mechanical projects on hVaC systems, potential savings of over $500,000 may be realized.
Facilities engineering also began to work on several of the recommendations in the survey that involve control system modifications including evening and weekend setbacks on certain air conditioning equipment. in 2009, Christiana Care entered into an agreement with h2O applied technologies to evaluate opportunities for water conservation. is consulting company made several recommendations to reduce Christiana Care’s water and energy use substantially. e mechanical engineering manager and the Corporate Director of Facilities engineering are working to develop a comprehensive, multi-year energy and water reduction program that includes many of the projects that h2O applied technologies and american energy assets developed. ey are working on creating a business plan that will outline many of these water and energy projects. is proposal will be presented to senior leadership for funding in Fy 2011.
3. PharmaCeUtiCal Waste PrOGram a sUbCOmmittee OF the enVirOnmental steWarDshiP COmmittee has
developed a program to characterize and collect pharmaceutical waste based on regulatory requirements, Occupational safety & health administration (Osha) regulations, and national institute of Occupational safety & health (niOsh) guidelines. by collecting and disposing of the pharmaceuticals required by law and those listed by guidance documents, a system has been developed that is legally compliant and protective of the environment while simultaneously avoiding unnecessary costs involved in managing all unused pharmaceuticals as hazardous waste. e environmental stewardship Committee is constantly mindful of creating a system that imposes the least stress possible on clinical operations while maintaining compliance with regulatory requirements and environmental stewardship initiatives.
Christiana Care health system • environmental stewardship annual report Fy 2010
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4. EnVIROnMEnTallY PREFERRED PuRChaSInG a SubCOMMITTEE TO ThE EnVIROnMEnTal STEWaRDShIP COMMITTEE was formed in winter of 2008 to discuss opportunities to more actively engage in environmentallypreferred purchasing practices. is committee considers both environmental impact and effect on community health when selecting which products or services to purchase.
is initiative has resulted in the implementation of Vernacare disposable patient-use receptacles in the Christiana and Wilmington Emergency Department. ese products are designed for single use applications, but instead of being thrown in the trash like previously used products, they are placed in a macerator on site and reduced to a liquid slurry. is substance is safe to flush into the traditional municipal waste water system and thus eliminates thousands of pounds of solid waste. christiana care
Christiana Care has also worked with Staples/Corporate Express on three separate fronts to minimize the environmental impact of its office supply contract. First, Christiana Care increased the percentage of recyclable items on its core-item list from 17.1% to 40%. Secondly, Christiana Care has transitioned to electronic ordering which has eliminated over 450,000 pages of catalog paper annually. irdly, the break-box take-back program instructs drivers to empty supplies from boxes upon delivery and take the box with him/her. not only does this eliminate the need for the end-user to store and dispose of the box, but it also allows Staples/Corporate Express to reuse boxes that are still in satisfactory condition or recycle ones that are not.
increased the percentage of recyclable items on its core item list from
17.1% to 40%.
Christiana Care contract managers also consider a vendor’s own impact on the environment when investigating contracting opportunities. Many companies that Christiana Care does business with such as haworth, Standard Register, and bard have taken steps to reduce their own environmental footprints by eliminating waste and pursing lEED certifications for their facilities. is, in turn, leads to more sustainable products coming into Christiana Care facilities.
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5. COnSTRuCTIOn WaSTE RECYClInG In FY 2009, Christiana Care started work on a historic $205 million expansion of Wilmington hospital. e construction manager, Skanska uSa, has committed to a comprehensive recycling program. a similar program was implemented on the 2010 project at Christiana hospital. e following items are being recycled:
• Cardboard • Masonry
• Wood • Paper
• Concrete • Gypsum
• asphalt • Glass
• Metal
Skanska uSaW is the only ISO 14001 construction firm in the country. ISO 14001 establishes standards that an organization must meet for an environmental management system. e aim of the standard is to reduce the environAs of the end of FY 2010, Skanska recycled 2,352 tons mental footprint of the business and of waste from the Wilmington Transformation project. to decrease the pollution and waste a is represents 93% of the waste generated from the project. business produces. In FY 2010, Facilities Engineering worked in cooperation with Design and Construction to implement a recycling program for other smaller construction projects on the Christiana hospital campus. Christiana hospital’s campus now includes a dumpster for disposal and recycling of metals for use on all construction projects.
6. FuRnITuRE / EQuIPMEnT RECYClInG ChRISTIana CaRE WaS able to dispose of over 200 unused hospital beds free of charge by utilizing a vendor that recovered scrap metal. In addition, 10 beds and mattresses were sold to a Physical erapy company for a marginal fee. Other opportunities to achieve greater reuse of unwanted furniture and equipment will be sought in FY 2011.
7. WEb EDuCaTIOn In ORDER TO RaISE EnVIROnMEnTal aWaREnESS and motivate individual responsibility, web-based education was developed for nursing staff. e objectives of this education included defining the environmental footprint, identifying at least three activities that will decrease Christiana Care’s environmental footprint, and comparing and contrasting sustainable versus non-sustainable choices that will impact our environmental footprint. is self-learning program was implemented in FY 2010.
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8. VEGETablE GaRDEn In SPRInG 2010, members of the Environmental Stewardship Committee and Environmental Champions planted a 3,000-square foot vegetable garden on the Christiana hospital campus. e produce grown in the garden was used in the cafeteria for meals.
9. GRaSSROOT SuPPORT FOR EnVIROnMEnTal STEWaRDShIP ManY OF ThE Environmental Stewardship Committee’s initiatives cannot be successful unless employees and staff members are willing to participate in efforts. In FY 2010, the Environmental Stewardship Committee began to recruit an engaged group of Environmental Champions to provide grassroot support for Environmental Stewardship initiatives throughout the hospital. us far, 50 hospital employees have joined the effort, and the Environmental Stewardship Committee will continue to look for new members in FY 2011.
10. MEDICaTIOn TaKE-baCK EVEnT ThE EnVIROnMEnTal STEWaRDShIP COMMITTEE identified a need to provide the
public with a safe and environmentally-friendly disposal option for unused or expired medications. Two Medicine Cabinet Clean-Out events were held in the lobby of the Education Center on april 23, 2009 and January 22, 2010. ese events were conducted in partnership with the Delaware nurses association and in coordination with the Office of Controlled Substances, the Federal Drug Enforcement agency, and State Police. approximately 30 professionals, including many pharmacists and nurses, volunteered at each event. More than 150 community members participated in the april 2009 event and travelled from as far away as new hope, Pennsylvania to unburden themselves of leftover pharmaceuticals in the most environmentally responsible way possible. Volunteers collected seven 12-gallon containers, four 18-gallon containers and five 5-gallon containers of medications which represent 347 pounds of pharmaceuticals in total. e amount of controlled substances collected was estimated to be worth approximately $300,000 to $400,000 in street value. e January 2010 event brought in 250 participants. Over 500 pounds of unused or expired pharmaceuticals were collected at this event including controlled substances worth an estimated $400,000 in street value. all of the pharmaceuticals collected were successfully diverted from our water supply.
ChRISTIana CaRE hEalTh SYSTEM • Environmental Stewardship annual Report FY 2010
all of the pharmaceuticals collected were successfully diverted from our water supply.
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V. Other Sustainable Initiatives 1. WInD POWER COnTRaCT
40%
In FEbRuaRY 2009, Christiana Care signed a nine year agreement with Iberdrola Renewables of Radnor, Pennsylvania, to purchase 40 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually from Iberdrola Renewables locust Ridge II Wind Farm in Schuylkill and Columbia Counties in Pennsylvania. as of January 1, 2010, the wind farm began supplying approximately 40 percent of Christiana Care’s electricity needs. is represents enough electricity to power about 3,700 homes or 15 percent of the output of the 51 wind turbine farm.
of christiana care’s electricity comes from wind power.
In addition to the environmental benefit of wind power, the cost that Christiana Care pays for electricity from the wind farm will remain unchanged during the nine-year contract and, consequently, is not subject to the volatility of fossil fuel prices. e clean, renewable source of electricity is a natural fit for Christiana Care as a healthcare provider.
2. ClEanMED PaRTICIPaTIOn SEVERal MEMbERS OF ThE EnVIROnMEnTal STEWaRDShIP COMMITTEE
traveled to baltimore in May to attend CleanMed 2010. CleanMed is a conference focused on sustainable healthcare practices. e conference is also a forum for exchanging ideas and exploring options that other healthcare systems are utilizing or testing. Case studies and examples of programs managed at other healthcare organizations were presented at seminars. Christiana Care also received two awards from the Practice Greenhealth organization at this conference (see Recognition section).
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3. STYROFOaM REDuCTIOn ChRISTIana CaRE FOOD anD nuTRITIOn SERVICES has taken strides to reduce availability and usage of styrofoam and plastic items in the cafeteria. Plastic flatware was moved so that individuals purchase food before making flatware selections. erefore, individuals are less likely to take flatware that they do not need. Signs were posted asking patrons to only use styrofoam trays and “clam-shell” boxes for take-out purposes. Reusable chinaware for in-cafeteria use was purchased for the set price entrée area. ese actions have all played an important role in reducing the amount of styrofoam disposal in the cafeteria by 50 percent. biodegradeable cafeteria-wear is being reviewed as part of a program to eliminate styrofoam usage. a local composting facility may play a role in these decisions moving forward.
50%
reduction of styrofoam use in our cafeteria.
4. WEbSITE In 2009, ThE EnVIROnMEnTal STEWaRDShIP COMMITTEE
completely redesigned the website with focus on environmental vision and impact. e website has communication links to committee members, environmental impact data, pictures of committee activities and award information.
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VI. Financial Impact of Fiscal Year 2010 Goals and Other Initiatives Figure 1
Recycled Waste Over Time
RECYClED WaSTE
1,600,000
as Figure 1 and Figure 2 indicate, Christiana Care has been successful in increasing its recycling rate in terms of overall volume as well as in terms of adjusted patient day. Currently, both hospitals together are recycling at a rate of over 15%. by choosing to recycle, Christiana Care has significantly reduced its disposal costs. Currently, Christiana Care is saving over $60,000 per year by reducing its solid waste disposal cost and this amount will continue to grow as the Committee explores news ways that it can increase our recycling rate.
1,200,000
1,400,000
Pounds
1,000,000 800,000 600,000 400,000 200,000 0 FY 07
Figure 2
FY 08
FY 09
FY 10
Recycled Waste Per Adjusted Patient Day 3.5 3.0
Pounds
2.5
REGulaTED MEDICal WaSTE
0.5 0 FY 07
Figure 3
FY 08
FY 09
FY 10
Regulated Medical Waste Over Time 1,800,000 1,600,000 1,400,000 1,200,000 1,000,000 800,000 600,000 400,000 200,000 0 FY 07
Figure 4
FY 08
FY 09
FY 10
Regulated Medical Waste Per Adjusted Patient Day 4.0 3.5 3.0
Pounds
Other initiatives that have led to huge financial savings over the past several years have been the reusable needle box program ($65,000 per year) and the replacement of one chiller and two cooling towers ($191,000 per year). Overall, Christiana Care’s environmental initiatives are saving the organization over $500,000 annually!
1.5 1.0
Pounds
as Figure 3 and Figure 4 illustrate, Christiana Care has achieved significant success in reducing its regulated medical waste (RMW) both by volume and in terms on pounds per adjusted patient day. Overall, the Environmental Stewardship Committee has been able to reduce RMW by over 50% at both hospitals. both the purchase of reusable disposal containers and education of Christiana Care staff members on proper disposal drove this initiative. ough only a small portion of overall waste, the disposal of RMW is very costly due to its toxicity. Its reduction due to the committee’s work is saving Christiana Care over $200,000 annually.
2.0
2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 0 FY 07
ChRISTIana CaRE hEalTh SYSTEM • Environmental Stewardship annual Report FY 2010
FY 08
12
FY 09
FY 10
VII. Internal and External Communications In FEbRuaRY 2009, Christiana Care entered into a long-term contract with Iberdrola
Renewables to purchase a large portion of Christiana Care’s electricity needs from a wind farm. (For details, see Wind Power Contract in Section V, Other Sustainable Initiatives). Christiana Care issued a press release on april 22, 2009, to announce the agreement. numerous media outlets ran the story, and interviews were conducted with WJbR, e News Journal and Health Facilities Management magazine. In May 2010, e News Journal featured Christiana Care in a story about eco-conscious hospitals. e article highlighted Christiana Care’s efforts to reduce and recycle its waste. e Environmental Stewardship Committee’s activities were featured in several articles in the biweekly employee magazine, FOCUS, and on announcements on the employee and physician portals. Featured stories included: • Earth Day activities • Wind Power agreement • Practice Greenhealth awards
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VIII. Recognition In MaY 2010, ChRISTIana CaRE WaS aWaRDED TWO EnVIROnMEnTal EXCEllEnCE aWaRDS. Christiana hospital and Wilmington hospital were two of 29
hospitals nationwide that were awarded the “Partner for Change, with Distinction” award. ese awards were presented by Practice Greenhealth, a premiere educational resource sharing group for environmentally sustainable practices in health care. “e Partner for Change, with Distinction” award recognizes healthcare facilities that continuously improve and expand upon their mercury elimination, waste reduction, and pollution prevention programs. at a minimum, this “includes a 15% recycling rate, a more extensive sustainability program, have a mercury elimination program in place with a plan for total elimination and a show of leadership in the local community and/or in the healthcare sector.”2
In november 2009, Christiana Care was also presented the Environmental Protection agency (EPa) Region III Trailblazer award. EPa’s Mid-atlantic Regional Office, in cooperation with other organizations working to reduce healthcare’s environmental footprint including the Delaware Valley healthcare Council and Maryland hospitals for a healthy Environment, gives its Trailblazer awards to hospitals in the region that have served as models for other hospitals and have shown leadership in advancing sustainability in a particular area of their operations. ese hospitals are helping to pave the way to move all area hospitals forward by reducing their environmental footprint. e award was presented to Dr. laskowski on november 19, 2009 by Shawn, Garvin, the u.S. EPa Regional administrator.
2. Practice Greenhealth. Practice Greenhealth 2010 Environmental Excellence awards 3. http://practicegreenhealth.org/awards/pfc ChRISTIana CaRE hEalTh SYSTEM • Environmental Stewardship annual Report FY 2010
the epa gives it’s trailblazer award to hospitals that:
‘‘
have served as models for other hospitals and have shown leadership in advancing sustainability in a particular area of their operations.
‘‘
We expect to continue improving our sustainable practices and aspire to receive the Environmental leadership Circle award for Christiana and Wilmington hospitals in FY 2012. e Environmental leadership Circle award is also presented by Practice Greenhealth and recognizes health care facilities that exhibit exceptional environmental excellence and high standards of sustainability. To be considered, “facilities must meet the criteria for the mercury-free award, recycle at least 25% of their total waste, be leading the health care sector in innovation and sustainability, and be leaders in their community.”3
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IX. Fiscal Year 2011 Goals below are the Environmental Stewardship Committee’s FY 2011 goals. ese goals are modeled after the goals of the “healthier hospitals Initiative” that Christiana Care plans to sign.
1. IMPROVE EnVIROnMEnTal hEalTh anD PaTIEnT SaFETY 1.1 Design and operate healthier and safer facilities for patients and employees Designing and operating healthier and safer facilities means adhering to nationally recognized standards for new buildings and additions. More sustainable buildings are constructed using environmentally-friendly materials and processes and allow Christiana Care to reduce longterm energy use. I n I T I aT I V E S :
• achieve lEED Certification for one or more buildings
1.2 Purchase safer and more sustainable products and materials how a product is manufactured and what materials are used to make it should be important considerations in Christiana Care’s purchasing process. as powerful industry consumers, large healthcare systems like Christiana Care have the ability to drive the market towards producing more sustainable products. I n I T I aT I V E S :
• Continue to expand environmentally-preferred purchasing program
1.3 support the use of safer chemicals and green chemistry as the largest user of user of chemicals, the healthcare sector has enormous opportunities to reduce the use of toxic chemicals that can cause serious illness and pollution. I n I T I aT I V E S :
• Explore more environmentally friendly alternatives to soap and hand gel products • assess literature on polyvinyl chloride (PVC), Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEhP), and bisphenol a (bPa) to determine Christiana Care’s position regarding use of products containing these chemicals
1.4 Promote nutritious, sustainable food choices ChRISTIana CaRE hEalTh SYSTEM • Environmental Stewardship annual Report FY 2010
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2. REDuCE hEalThCaRE’S uSE OF naTuRal RESOuRCES anD GEnERaTIOn OF WaSTE 2.1 reduce the consumption of energy; support transition to renewable resources Reducing energy consumption can be both a financially smart and an environmentallyfriendly choice. In order to reduce energy consumption, Christiana Care must invest in more renewable and efficient energy alternatives. I n I T I aT I V E S :
• Present a water and energy reduction project to senior leadership for funding consideration • Develop an Energy Conservation Program that encourages conservation by employees and medical/dental staff
2.2 conserve water Conserving water involves purchasing new or upgrading existing equipment so that it is more efficient and minimizes water wasted. like energy reduction, reducing the amount of water Christiana Care uses can lead to significant long-term cost savings. I n I T I aT I V E S :
• Water and Energy Reduction Project
2.3 Minimize waste and emissions; decrease / eliminate incineration by increasing our recycling programs and using reprocessed materials when possible, Christiana Care can significantly decrease the amount of waste it produces and sends to landfills. I n I T I aT I V E S :
• • • • • •
achieve a 25% recycling rate at Christiana and Wilmington hospitals Establish a Furniture recycling program Evaluation of waste streams by a company that specializes in recycling Explore opportunities to reuse or recycle batteries Establish a comprehensive recycling program at MaP 2, Cancer Center, hCCC, PMRI Implement the Greening the OR Initiative. is includes expansion of single use device reprocessing, recycling/reuse of supplies • Continue to explore opportunities to reduce the use and disposal of polystyrene
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Improper disposal of pharmaceuticals can contaminate the water supply and threaten the health of the community. by providing methods to properly dispose of unused pharmaceuticals, Christiana Care is complying with regulations and ensuring that these items are not entering our water supplies or landfills untreated. I n I T I aT I V E S :
• Complete implementation of the pharmaceutical waste program
2.4 improve transportation strategies for patients and staff
3. InSTITuTIOnal SuSTaInabIlITY anD SaFETY 3.1 Make sustainability and safety a strategic imperative by continuing to recruit believers, the Environmental Stewardship Committee can make sustainability a strategic imperative for Christiana Care as an organization. as the committee continues to gather support from fellow employees, sustainable choices will become an implicit part of the organization’s culture and mission. I n I T I aT I V E S :
• Increase the involvement of Environmental Champions in the implementation of the Environmental Stewardship program initiatives
3.2 Promote environmental health literacy internally and through community programs Education is one of the first steps in creating a movement towards long-term change both at Christiana Care and in the community. by sharing initiatives, educating individuals about environmental issues, and teaching others how they can help, the Environmental Stewardship Committee can promote sustainable choices and environmental literacy. I n I T I aT I V E S :
• Field trips for Environmental Stewardship committee members – landfill, recycling centers • Develop education for all Christiana Care employees • update the Environmental Stewardship program web page
3.3 engage in public policy to promote sustainability and safety e sustainability movement needs strong leaders to share its message and serve as an example to other organizations. Christiana Care has an opportunity to be a leader in this change. I n I T I aT I V E S :
• Commit to the “healthy hospitals Initiative” and “Greening the OR initiative”
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To learn more about Christiana Care’s environmental initiatives, contact the External Affairs Department at 302-327-3300.
P.O. Box 1668 Wilmington, Delaware 19899 www.christianacare.org
Before printing this report please consider the environment.
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