Greening the OR
As hospitals face increasing pressure to become more sustainable and reduce their environmental footprints, the logical place to start is the operating room. After all, the OR is said to be the largest waste-generating department in a hospital and a huge cost center for materials, devices and supplies; in fact, research indicates between 20 and 30 percent of a hospital’s total waste is generated in the OR.
In an effort to tackle this issue head on, Stryker collaborated with Practice Greenhealth and leading healthcare systems, professional organizations, government agencies, manufacturers and vendors from across the nation to take part in an initiative called Greening the OR. Beginning with a symposium held in April 2010, these industry thought leaders joined together to discuss strategies and establish actionable best practices for waste reduction and cost savings in the operating room.
Greening the Supply Chain
Hospitals and healthcare systems are increasingly adopting principles for environmentally preferable purchasing—advocating for “greener” products and services to gain advantage in the healthcare market. Stryker continues to push the agenda for environmentally responsible behavior in healthcare—from the perspective of suppliers. In a 2011 Practice Greenhealth initiative, Stryker co-founded the Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) Business Leadership Coalition—along with industry leaders Covidien, Medline, Stericycle, Johnson & Johnson, SRI Surgical, Hospira, Becton Dickinson and others—to create a collaborative effort to develop more environmentally friendly products and services. The initiative is a first in an industry where competing healthcare suppliers are coming together to collaborate on broad initiatives for a more sustainable healthcare future.
