U.S. Army Pfc. Cynthia Veliz, a supply specialist collects a COVID-19 test-kit specimen (California Army National Guard/Flickr)
From packaging to PPE and other surgical supplies, some waste is inevitable. But supply chain leaders are finding ways to reduce the quantity. Supply Chain Deep Dive tapped Practice Greenhealth experts for details on how health care is reusing and recycling when possible and adjusting procurement and packaging strategies.
Reducing waste – and spending
Hospitals can heal America through what and how they buyIn this op-ed, Health Care Without Harm founder Gary Cohen, Mary Beth Lang, Kaiser Permanente’s chief procurement and supply chain officer, and Mary J. Larson, Advocate Aurora Health’s director of environmental affairs and sustainability, explain how to harness health care’s enormous purchasing power to heal the environmental and social conditions that are making people sick in the first place.
Supplying health
Greenhealth Approved published in Sustainable BrandsStrong partnerships between the health care sector and suppliers are key to transforming the market to offer sustainable products and be resilient against disruptions. Sustainable Brands is relying on organizations like ours to make recommendations, like Greenhealth Approved, a new industry-wide utility to help health care providers simplify smart purchasing decisions that advance their sustainability goals while protecting patients, staff, and the community.
Sustainable purchasing made easy
NPR taps our experts on making surgical operations more sustainableHealth Care Without Harm and Practice Greenhealth experts and Boston Children’s Hospital advise the health care sector on reducing climate impact and environmentally sustainable solutions for operating rooms, showing it’s “absolutely possible to increase access to surgical care without breaking the climate.”
Sustainable surgery
Learn more about our work in sustainable procurement and how you can get involved.