Greening Healthcare

Improving Sustainability & Environmental Health at Your Medical School!

The Medical Alliance to Stop Global Warming has launched a campaign to support student efforts to green their medical school/hospital!

Did you know…

• Currently, the healthcare sector is one of the most consumptive and energy-intensive built environments. There is a need for hospitals to reduce energy consumption in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve their carbon footprint.  Also, greener buildings save money in energy costs!
• American hospitals generate 20 million pounds of solid waste each year!
• There are many products used inside hospitals, including pesticides and cleaning products, which can pose a health risk to patients.
• Mercury, a neurotoxic heavy metal, is found in devices such as blood pressure cuffs, thermometers, and esophageal dilators.
• A study done with the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) found that 42% of hospitals surveyed sold fast food on campus.
• Polyvinylchloride (PVC) is used to make many plastic products found in hospitals including IV bags and tubing, disposable gloves, pipes, flooring, plastic wrap, and furniture. PVC differs from other types of plastic because its production requires chlorine, metallic heat stabilizers, and plasticizers. These additives make PVC a particularly dangerous product throughout its entire lifecycle.

Want to learn more?  Click here for the easy-to-use, fully referenced medical student guide to greening healthcare!

To receive notification about upcoming events, please join the google group for the Medical Alliance to Stop Global Warming

Web Resources

GREENING HEALTHCARE:

Healthcare Without Harm

Hospitals for a Healthy Environment

Center for Health Design

Greenguide for Healthcare

LEED certification

Greening Healthcare: Ideas for Medical Students

Guenther 5 Architects

EXAMPLES OF GREEN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES:

Article: The Top Ten Green Hospitals in the US 2006

The Center for Health and Healing at OHSU

Boulder Community Hospital: Foothills

GREEN ENERGY:

Find out if you can purchase green power in your state

PSR's Code Black Coal Campaign

Purchase green energy credits through a joint program of Co-op America and NativeEnergy

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION:

Teleosis Institute

OTHER GREEN INITIATIVES TO CHECK OUT:

Bloomberg's PlanNYC 2030

US Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement

Architecture 2030 initiative

Living Building Challenge