Plastics today reports that the Healthier Hospitals Initiative (HHI), which was launched in 2010 by twelve hospital systems, is rapidly growing as healthcare organizations buy into the goals to boost sustainability, improve purchasing practices, and lower energy costs. “We currently have 837 hospitals enrolled, and more enrolling every week!” HHI’s Sherry McDonald told Plastics Today.
The newest organization to support HHI is HealthTrust, a large healthcare purchasing group based in Brentwood, TN. “HealthTrust has always been dedicated to ecological responsibility,” said J. Michael Jones, director of Clinical Education and Sustainability. “One of the forerunners of our formal sustainability program is a longstanding commitment to the advancement of reprocessing and remanufacturing medical devices–an initiative with a significant effect on both the environmental impact and economic strength of our member facilities.”
“HHI is a multi-year campaign and our first Milestone Report shows movement toward delivering a more sustainable hospital environment,” said Cohen, who is also the founder of the Healthier Hospitals Initiative.
Specific results included:
- More than 50 million pounds of materials were recycled.
- About $32 million in savings resulted from single-use medical device reprocessing.
- Nearly $9 million was spent on local/sustainable food options.
- Almost $19 million was spent on PVC/DEHP-free medical products.