Hospitals for a Healthy Environment

Health Care Without Harm is proud to partner with the American Hospital Association, the US Environmental Protection Agency and the American Nurses Association on the Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E) program.

H2E is using the combined influence of the four co-sponsoring organizations to educate health care professionals about pollution prevention opportunities, and to move healthcare facilities across the United States toward the goals of the H2E program. H2E is helping hospitals save money by providing the practical tools to help facilities minimize the volume and toxicity of waste, and reduce their use of persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals.

The History
In 1998, the American Hospital Association and the US Environmental Protection Agency signed a landmark agreement to advance pollution prevention efforts in U.S. hospitals. The Memorandum of Understanding (pdf), which is the cornerstone of the H2E initiative, calls for:

• Virtually eliminating mercury-containing waste from the health care waste stream by the year 2005
• Reducing the overall volume of waste (both regulated and non-regulated waste) by 33 percent by 2005, and by 50 percent by 2010
• Identifying hazardous substances for pollution prevention and waste reduction opportunities, including hazardous chemicals and persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic pollutants

The first phase of the H2E program consisted of a group of stakeholders, known as the Environmental Leadership Council (ELC). The ELC was divided into workgroups that developed many of the model management/elimination plans now available as resources.

The second phase of the H2E program began in the Fall of 2001, when H2E reorganized to formally include two other cosponsoring organizations, Health Care Without Harm and the American Nurses Association. H2E kicked off its implementation phase with the introduction of a new website, a listserv, the Partners and Champions Program and its Annual Awards Program.

Tools and Resources
H2E has developed a number of tools to aid in the education and implementation of hospital pollution prevention programs, including:

• A website full of tools and resources at www.h2e-online.org.
• A listserv for those working in the healthcare sector or with hospitals on pollution prevention initiatives. The listserv allows hospital professionals to ask pointed technical questions and receive a number of replies from other professionals who are tackling the same issue.
• Model waste minimization, mercury elimination, chemical waste minimization and other pollution prevention plans.

Call 1-800-727-4179.
Email h2e@hcwh.org.
Go to the H2E website at www.h2e-online.org.

Sitemap | Contact Us | Privacy Policy