MHACB 560 ref 1
docx
School
University of Phoenix *
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Course
560
Subject
Health Science
Date
Jan 9, 2024
Type
docx
Pages
4
Uploaded by franknoah0116
MHACB/560
Reflection 1
Analyze Best Practices
December 6, 2023
Sustainability in healthcare is defined as trying to restore and maintain health with little to no impact on the environment. “Sustainable development is development that meets their own needs” (Avlonas and Nassos, 2013). Providing care with minimal waste is the goal of health sustainability. Using recyclable material or products is much more preferred then non-recyclable.
Converting to electronic health records for charting to avoid waste. Minimizing waste and being mindful on what can impact our environment is important in healthcare. One of the most obvious forms of sustainability within my organization would be technology. When I first started with my company we were still utilizing paper charts. I was able to be part of
the transition when we converted to Electronic Medical Records. I don’t believe we will ever be paper free, but every piece of paper associated with patient information can be scanned into their electronic medical record. This gives us instant access to print anything a patient requests and makes it easier to locate files instead of shuffling through a medical paper chart. In my organization we try and maintain a greener approach when ordering products. Recycling
is a big part of our organization. Although we have not fully converted, we try our best to support sustainability at all costs. Leadership provides us education and training on how to go green and stay green. We disinfect medical waste in the OR to ensure there is no environmental contamination before it goes to our local landfill. Most of our facilities use solar panels to save energy, but not every location has had them installed. This will be a slow process as it can become quite expensive. We have upgraded all of our light bulbs to led light bulbs in all of our clinics and ASC’s. We also try and convince everyone to turn off their PC’s at night and especially on the weekends to help conserve energy as well. When it comes to our purchasing decisions and trying to stay greener. We ultimately try our best to purchase recycled products and office supplies. Especially when purchasing toxic
cleaning chemicals we use in the OR for a healthier working environment. Reasoning is because it improves human health and is also safe for the employee’s health as well. Purchasing green products for a healthier environment can cause some budget issues. It can become pricy. The CEO of our organization is big on cleaning up the environment. We have a company that provides reusable recycling bins. Each break room in our clinics has specifically labeled bins for trash and recycling We have a dedicated team that evaluates our supply chain very closely to see where we can budget and save the environment at the same time. The good thing about my organization is we are educated and very aware of the impact an improved environment can be. Most times this can lead to lower waste-disposal and reduced material costs.
All in all, saving the environment takes a village and participation from everyone to make a difference.
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