Last Friday our president, Tom Petersen, presented a speech regarding sustainability in health care to more than twenty Hospital Fire Marshal Association members. The speech focused on building a green team, selecting small projects, building from success and finding ways to make environmentally conscious decisions, while saving money.
While the term “sustainability” can be interpreted in many ways, Petersen defined it as anything of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting/using a resource so that the reserve is not depleted or permanently damaged. Medical centers across the nation have realized that it makes good financial sense to protect our environment and health through sustainability initiatives, and this speech provided action steps to local facilities.
Petersen explained the importance of a sustainability audit, and how it can help facilities identify waste. He also encouraged hospitals to use existing initiatives as a jumping point, to gain support and identify successes. Throughout the speech Petersen stressed that every bit counts, and all sustainability programs help to increase sustainability.
All green team sustainability efforts must start small and grow, regardless of the hospital size. By making environmentally conscious decisions, every hospital can grow their sustainability programs while reducing their costs.
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