Based on customer demand, Vizient says it just bolstered its Environmentally Preferred Sourcing (EPS) program with a whole suite of eco-friendly hospital furniture, calling it “the nation’s largest, most comprehensive portfolio of environmentally preferred furniture.”
The group purchasing organization (GPO) says they now have more than 450,000 items available in the program and have contracts with suppliers that make furniture without using formaldehyde, perfluorinated compounds, polyvinyl chloride, antimicrobials and flame retardants, which can leech out throughout a product’s lifecycle and have been linked to environmental pollution and adverse health effects, including thyroid disruption, impacts to the immune system and reproductive toxicity cancer, obesity, neurodevelopment, reproductive issues and other serious illnesses.
“Vizient is prioritizing expansion of EP products within our contract portfolio because member demand is high,” said Cristina Indiveri, senior director, program services, Vizient, in the announcement. “For instance, we are seeing more health systems move away from products that include flame retardants based on the harmful impacts on human health.” Recent studies have linked flame retardants to endocrine and other adverse effects.”
Other reports indicate that while most healthcare providers want to embrace greener initiatives, many find the transition challenging. Nonethless, a joint survey of healthcare organizations conducted by Greenhealth Exchange and Healthcare Purchasing News found that Supply Chain, by and large, should be involved in sustainability initiatives (98 percent affirmative response). Many also said sustainability should be a consideration for Supply Chain with a larger number saying it should be critical to decision-making five years from now.
For its new eco-friendly furniture portfolio, Vizient says independent auditors will provide certification of manufacturing standards and that suppliers will provide separate documentation for EP and conventional product purchases to facilitate member tracking. Suppliers include AllSeating Furniture, Global Industries Furniture, Knoll Furniture, Herman Miller Furniture, National Office Furniture and Steelcase Furniture.
