Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.
Issue link: http://outpatientsurgery.uberflip.com/i/726435
Ms. Crosby describes her ASC's staff as "green champions," but they didn't achieve their sustainability successes overnight or on their own. She credits a "ripple effect" for her center's environmental efforts, namely the motivational influence of other facilities in its orbit. Environmental thinking "is part of our healthcare organization. We have a system-wide sustainability program," she explains. When staff observed the recycling efforts at nearby Methodist Hospital, the surgi- cal center's strong relationship with its sister facility paid off in the ability to plan and execute similar moves. "There was training and education needed, but we were able to tap into organization resources and a sustainability guide," says Ms. Crosby. "The campus-wide green team was instrumental." "This was a huge team effort to get to this point," says Dana Slade, director of sustainability programs for Health Partners, the health sys- tem of which Park Nicollet is a member. "As with anything in sustain- ability, no one person can make it work alone." The combination of staff's engagement with the cause and manage- ment's support of it provides an effective and essential springboard for implementing change, says Mr. Slade. The availability of county waste diversion grants and other economic incentives ("Trash is taxed. Recycling is not taxed," he notes) doesn't hurt either. It begins with the bins If you're planning to implement a recycling program, you'll need a convenient place to gather up your recyclable waste. That's where the clearly recognizable bins come in. At Ms. Crosby's ASC, they're always within reach. "There is recycling collection in every OR, in the med room, and throughout pre-op, post-op and PACU. All paper and plastic that can be collected is recycled," she says. S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 6 • O U T PA T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T • 8 1