Leading the Health Care Sector to Sustainability
Practice Greenhealth, HCWH, and the Healthier Hospitals Initiative describe strategies and resources for bringing sustainable practices to the health care sector.  enlarge video
Healing Garden Grows in Bhopal
The story of the Sambhavna Clinic, a non-profit holistic health clinic in Bhopal, India, built to treat those injured by the Union Carbide toxic gas release in 1984.  enlarge video
Health Care Without Harm is an international coalition of more than 470 organizations in 52 countries working to transform the health care sector so it is no longer a source of harm to people and the environment.  enlarge video
United States and Canada
Health Care Without Harm: Leading the global movement for environmentally responsible health care

"First Do No Harm" ... Together with our partners around the world, Health Care Without Harm shares a vision of a health care sector that does no harm, and instead promotes the health of people and the environment. To that end, we are working to implement ecologically sound and healthy alternatives to health care practices that pollute the environment and contribute to disease. more

HCWH News

May 14, 2013
Health Care Without Harm Press Release

UCSF Task Force Recommends Purchase of Meat and Poultry Raised Without Antibiotics

Acting on that concern, The University of California, San Francisco’s (UCSF) Academic Senate Coordinating Committee, the School of Pharmacy Faculty Council, and the School of Medicine Faculty Council unanimously approved a resolution in April to phase out the procurement of meat and poultry raised with non-therapeutic antibiotics at UCSF, urging all University of California campuses to do the same. more 
May 6, 2013
Health Care Without Harm Press Release

HCWH HFHC Releases Menu of Change

HCWH's Healthy Food in Health Care Program releases report on progress being made in health care facilities to develop sustainable food operations. Contains results of HFHC biennial survey, profiles of HCWH Healthy Food award winners, information on HFHC program activities and profiles of regional work in seven regions across the nation. more 

Environmental Health News

February 26, 2013, NewHampshire.com
By Melanie Plenda

Hospital Cafeterias Attract Granite State Diners

Excerpt: "Judy Tobin of Keene is in the hospital at least twice a week. She's not sick or visiting ill friends, she's there for the food. Folks who come to eat at the hospital regularly know that if they want to eat healthy, they can."  more 
October 27, 2012, Modern Healthcare
By Ashok Selvam

New breed of manager works to curb energy use, resource consumption

Excerpt: "Hospitals, because of their 24/7 operations, rank as one of the largest consumers of energy. Healthcare facilities consume more than 10% of the total energy used in U.S. commercial buildings and spend more than $8 billion a year on energy, including gas and electricity, according to the U.S. Energy Department. And healthcare facilities as a sector rank close to the top for total electricity consumption among commercial buildings. The large expenditure presents a target for sustainability officers to attack, but only if they have adequate staffing resources. "  more 

Reports and Publications

April 2013
Health Care Research Collaborative

Scientific Evidence of Health Effects from Coal Use in Energy Generation

The pollutants generated from coal combustion have profound effects on the health of local communities but can also travel long distances, affecting communities remote from power plants. more 
June 13, 2012
Health Care Research Collaborative

Mercury in Dental Amalgam and Resin-Based Alternatives

Based on current evidence,the ultimate goal of a phase-out of virtually all usage of dental mercury is recommended. This phase-out must be planned and deliberate, assuring continued emphasis on adequate restorations to prevent continued tooth decay and the potential of malnutrition in economically impoverished areas. more 
September 2011
Health Care Research Collaborative

Green Cleaning in Healthcare

Green cleaning is a new, promising approach to environmental cleaning that aims at reducing harm to human health and the environment while maintaining or improving the hygiene of the healthcare environ¬ment. more 
 
Catherine Dodd, PhD, RN, FAAN
HCWH Nurses Workgroup

Find out how nurses can be environmental activists, using our Welcome Toolkit, Mini-Grant Initiative, rGBH-Free Dairy Toolkit, Environmental Health resources, Protect Antibiotics Toolkit, and other resources  more

HCWH Health Care Research Collaborative Reports
CleanMed 2013
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