US Army News
Posted April 2, 2012
By Ms Shannon Carabajal (Army Medicine)
Military treatment facilities across U.S. Army Medical Command are leaning forward to protect the environment for future generations and ensuring the viability of the MEDCOM mission through sustainability efforts to save our resources and save money.
Tammy Ford, the command’s sustainability coordinator, said the command is committed to being financially and environmentally responsible while contributing to and protecting the surrounding community.
…Over the past several years, the MEDCOM Sustainability Program has been working to attain a sustainable healthcare program through cost effective, sustainable changes; collaborative partnerships with host installations and local communities; and supply and equipment purchases that provide return on investment thru cost-savings and sustainable results.
…Sustainability efforts save nearly $1 million annually at a typical MEDCOM hospital, including more than $400,000 from green cleaning practices; $291,000 from reprocessing single-use devices; $38,000 from energy efficiencies; $62,000 from solid waste diversion and recycling; $20,000 from regulated medical waste deductions; and $53,000 from hazardous waste reductions.
…The reprocessing/remanufacturing SUDs program is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Certain medical devices are intended to be disposed of after only being used once, but many of the devices can be reprocessed to manufactures’ standards, sterilized and reused.
The command approved the use of this program in 2010. In 2011, the SUD reprocessing program at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Hood, Texas, resulted in a savings of $291,508 and reduced the center’s medical waste steam by 6,000 pounds.
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