Gary Cohen, Uncommon Hero
HCWH's co-founder Gary Cohen is a recipient of the prestigious Skoll Award. This video, chronicling the evolution of HCWH's work, premiered at the 2009 Skoll World Forum. enlarge video
HCWH's co-founder Gary Cohen is a recipient of the prestigious Skoll Award. This video, chronicling the evolution of HCWH's work, premiered at the 2009 Skoll World Forum. enlarge video
Download Report: Global Green and Healthy Hospitals Agenda: A Comprehensive Environmental Health Agenda for Hospitals and Health Systems Around the World (pdf)
Tools and Resources
- HCWH Factsheets
- Scientific Reports:
Possible Impacts of Phthalates on Infant Reproductive Health
High Exposure of Neonates in Intensive Care - Legislation, Advisories and Government Reports
- Disposal of PVC Medical Waste
- Case Studies on PVC Elimination
- Alternatives to PVC
- More Information about Vinyl
- More Information about Dioxin
- More about Phthalates in Consumer Products
HCWH Factsheets
HCWH has developed these tools to help health care workers take action to reduce PVC and DEHP.
- Why Health Care is Moving Away From the Hazardous Plastic PVC, Pub 3-19 (pdf)
- Guidelines for a PVC Audit:
- Alternatives to PVC and DEHP:
- List of US healthcare facilities taking action on PVC or DEHP (pdf)
- Neonatal Exposure to DEHP and Opportunities for Prevention (pdf)
- Aggregate Exposures to Phthalates in Humans: HCWH 2002 Report (pdf)
- Exposure to DEHP Among Premature Neonates in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (pdf)
- DEHP Exposures During the Medical Care of Infants: A Cause for Concern, Pub 3-6 (pdf)
- Preventing Harm from Phthalates, Avoiding PVC in Hospitals (pdf)
Scientific Reports
Scientific reports on PVC/DEHP/phthalates with particular relevance to medical devices and/or human health
- European Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks report on DEHP, 2007 (pdf)
- US National Toxicology Program Monograph on the Potential Human Reproductive and Developmental Effects of DEHP, 2006 (pdf)
Possible Impacts of Phthalates on Infant Reproductive Health
- Decrease in Anogenital Distance among Male Infants with Prenatal Phthalate Exposure, 2005 (pdf)
- Human Breast Milk Contamination with Phthalates and Alterations of Endogenous Reproductive Hormones in Infants Three Months of Age, 2005 (pdf)
High Exposure of Neonates in Intensive Care
- Exposure to DEHP Among Premature Neonates in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, 2004 (pdf)
- Use of DEHP-Containing Medical Products and Urinary Levels of MEHP Phthalate in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Infants, 2005 (pdf)
Legislation, Advisories and Government Reports
- Philippines Department of Health Advisory Circular on PVC Medical Devices, 2008 (pdf)
- European Chemicals legislation (REACH):
- European Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks report on DEHP, 2007 (pdf)
- European Union Directive on PVC Medical Devices, 2007 (pdf)
- American Medical Asso. Resolution on PVC, 2007 (pdf)
- US FDA Public Health Notification: PVC Devices Containing the Plasticizer DEHP, 2002 (pdf)
- Medical Devices Bureau of Health Canada Statement on DEHP in Medical Devices for Stakeholder Consultation, 2002 (pdf)
- US National Toxicology Program Monograph on the Potential Human Reproductive and Developmental Effects of DEHP, 2006 (pdf)
- Expert Panel Re-Evaluation of DEHP, US National Toxicology Program Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction, 2005 (pdf)
- German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) Recommendations on the Use of DEHP in Medical Devices (pdf)
- Risk Reduction Strategy on DEHP - National Chemicals Inspectorate of Sweden (KEMI), 2003 (pdf)
- Draft Guidance Document on PVC Medical Devices Made With DEHP, 2002, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (pdf)
- The EU Scientific Committee on Medicinal Products and Medical Devices, 2002 (pdf)
- Safety Assessment of DEHP Released from PVC Medical Devices, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2001 (pdf)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, 2001 (pdf)
Disposal of PVC Medical Waste
- WHO: Safe Health-Care Waste Management Policy Paper (pdf)
- WHO: Safe Management of Wastes from Healthcare Activities
- The Indian Biomedical (Management and Handling) Rules (1998) and Amendments (2000) (doc)
- The Behaviour of PVC in Landfill — European Commission (pdf)
Case Studies on PVC Elimination
- Beziers Clinic in France reports PVC-free NICU (pdf)
- Karolinska Hospital documents eight-year PVC phase-out project (pdf)
- PVC and DEHP in Neonatal Intensive Care Units, Kaiser Permanente (pdf)
- Elimination of PVC from IV Bags in South Korea (pdf)
- Attaining 100% DEHP Elimination in IV Bags, Miller Children's Hospital (pdf)
- Sweden NICUs Phase Out PVC/DEHP Feeding Tubes (pdf)
- Lucille Packard NICU Makes Major Strides to Remove DEHP and Saves $200,000 by Switching to Custom-made DEHP-free IV Product (pdf)
- Six Months After FDA Warnings About DEHP, John Muir Medical Center is Proudly DEHP-Free (pdf)
- Prague Hospital Eliminates PVC IV Bags (pdf)
- Glanzing Clinic in Vienna Is First PVC-Free Pediatric Unit Worldwide (pdf)
- More Resolutions and Shareholder MOUs on PVC, DEHP, Dioxin and Medical Waste Incineration (pdf)
Alternatives to PVC
- Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction website
- Sustainable Hospitals Project Alternatives List website
- Danish PVC Information Council website
More Information about Vinyl
- PVC Information website
More Information about Dioxin
More about Phthalates in Consumer Products
