Practice Greenhealth and the Greenhealth Exchange announced the release of a new, national program which will provide environmental solutions to healthcare systems and accelerate the adoption of greener and more sustainable products, states a company press release.
Greenhealth Approved will allow healthcare purchasers to easily identify sustainable alternatives to the products currently purchased. The Greenhealth Approved seal utilizes the expertise and measurement criteria developed by Health Care Without Harm as the program’s underpinnings. The new program enables suppliers with environmentally preferred products to submit information about those products for review against a transparent set of attributes. If appropriate, the product(s) may utilize the Greenhealth Approved seal to signal to the market that it has successfully met the criteria.
Given the current dynamic, healthcare organizations nation-wide are looking at ways to build more resilient supply chains, improve local sourcing initiatives and address how sustainability fits into their processes including issues surrounding reusable and disposable items. By developing a utility that has wide application, products can be made available to a broader audience and not restricted to certain sourcing groups.
“We’ve been in the business of providing tools and resources to health care systems that aid them in their evolution of becoming more sustainable systems. Our new Greenhealth Approved seal will continue that work, but for a more expansive audience than just Practice Greenhealth members,” said Paul Bogart, Executive Director, Health Care Without Harm and Practice Greenhealth.
“As an organization that strongly believes we must consider the impact our operations and patient care decisions have on the environment, the new Greenhealth Approved program is a crucial and welcomed resource. I believe it will greatly assist health care organizations like the University of Vermont Health Network across the country in their efforts to reduce their environmental impact without impeding existing supply chain sourcing strategies”, said Charlie Miceli, Chief Supply Chain Officer Network Vice President, University of Vermont Health Network.
Greenhealth Approved products will be listed on the program’s website (www.greenhealthapproved.org) along with information about the vetting criteria and the application process. Healthcare procurement professionals can refer to the website when looking for products that have been vetted and approved for use of the seal.
“Now more than ever, we need to ensure the products that meet Health Care Without Harm’s criteria are showcased. We can’t separate ‘sustainability’ from the rest of the criteria health care supply chain uses for product decisions. Creating a utility and working with the entire industry moves the mission forward,” said Anna Fox, Chief Operating Officer at Greenhealth Exchange. The Greenhealth Approved Seal is owned by Practice Greenhealth. The work done with suppliers to submit data for vetting and administering other aspects of the program will be coordinated by the Greenhealth Exchange team.
