Healthier Hospitals Initiative Paper

Currently, the medical field needs vast improvements in the sustainability practices implemented in hospitals and other healthcare providing organizations. In fact, according to the Association of Medical Device Reprocessors , “hospitals and healthcare providers are among the largest generators of regulated medical waste” (AMDR). However, this does not necessarily mean that hospitals and other healthcare providers have not taken steps to improve their sustainability practices. Many hospitals in the United States have implemented new and improved methods for tackling the medical waste issue, as well as numerous other sources of waste. Hospitals and other healthcare providers were certainly not as ‘green’ many years ago as they are now, but there

Approximately five hundred US hospitals are involved in this national campaign, which consists of a guide aimed to help hospitals improve sustainability in six areas. The six areas of the guide are the following: engaged leadership, healthier foods, leaner energy, less waste, safer chemicals, and smarter purchasing. Rather than being a physical means of helping sustainability in the healthcare field, the Healthier Hospitals Initiative acts as a call to action for the entire medical industry, inviting other hospitals and healthcare providers to join the shift towards are more sustainable approach to business (Practice Greenhealth). This campaign has truly helped improve the sustainable and environmental health practices of numerous hospitals and healthcare providers in the United States, and will likely continue to accomplish this goal in the

Much controversy has surrounded this sustainable practice in the healthcare sector ever since its inception. On one side of the argument, medical device manufacturers claim the practice to be flawed because it is impossible to guarantee the safety of any reprocessed and reused single-use devices, and state that the use of reprocessed single use devices “may increase the risk of liability for hospitals and physicians”. On the other side of the argument, medical device reprocessors and hospitals state that because of the rigorous regulations of reprocessed single use medical devices set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), these reprocessed devices are perfectly safe for reuse. Also, the medical device reprocessers and hospitals argue that the medical device manufacturers who are opposed to this practice are mainly motivated my profit since the reprocessing and reuse of these medical devices results in incredibly high cost savings for the hospital (Herrmann, Ray). Between these two sides of the argument, I agree with the medical device reprocessors and hospitals, and believe all hospitals should begin implementing this sustainable practice in the future as it provides several benefits and there exists no evidence which proves reprocessed devices are unsafe for