Brian White, President of Stryker Sustainability Solutions discusses how hospitals experience significant cost-savings and waste-reduction benefits as a result of a well-integrated, well-supported reprocessing programs. Sustainability efforts he writes, are particularly optimized through clinical staff like nurses. Caryn Humphrey, product manager at Stryker Sustainability Solutions notes:
“Nurses have the opportunity to take ownership of a hospital’s sustainability initiatives by becoming early adopters and promoters of the program. Many surgeons rely on nurses and trust their judgment. If a nurse requests that the surgeon substitute a reprocessed surgical instrument for a brand new one, the surgeon may listen – and the costs of the procedure could be reduced. Nurses can also launch hospital Green Teams, or join existing ones. Green Teams are known to be highly effective vehicles for influencing greener behavior throughout hospitals.” In Caryn’s opinion, most successful reprocessing programs are driven by people who understand that reprocessing is an essential part of how a facility should operate in an environment where resources are scarce. By entering into and refining a reprocessing program, hospitals can achieve significant supply cost savings, which allows them to reinvest these resources in initiatives that enhance patient care.