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
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
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
Practice Greenhealth, HCWH, and the Healthier Hospitals Initiative describe strategies and resources for bringing sustainable practices to the health care sector. 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
Medical Waste, A Call to Action for Health Care. Find out why incineration is harmful and about better alternatives for medical waste treatment. enlarge video
Press Room
HCWH News
October 23, 2012
Health Care Without Harm Blog
Health Care Without Harm Blog
Pediatricians and Pesticides- AAP Provides Guidance and Opens Door for New Conversations
Ever since my first child was born nearly 14 years ago, I have diligently brought information and articles to well child visits about all kinds of environmental health issues. Shouldn’t you be telling us about mercury in tuna, I would ask the doctor? What about BPA in baby bottles? Alas, our otherwise sage pediatrician stuck to the traditional topics of immunizations, car seat safety, and bike helmets. But my 3rd child’s 5 year old visit may be different than his brother and sister’s have been. more
October 23, 2012
Health Care Without Harm Press Release
Health Care Without Harm Press Release
Bay Area Hospitals Aggregate Demand to Push the Market for Local and Organic Produce from Family Farmers
This Food Day, a team of San Francisco Bay Area hospitals has something to celebrate. Their combined commitment to local and organic food procurement demonstrates the capacity of the health care sector to move the marketplace toward sustainability. moreOctober 23, 2012
Health Care Without Harm Press Release
Health Care Without Harm Press Release
Food Day Finds Health Care Serving Up Healthier, Sustainable Foods
Hospitals across the nation have begun to implement healthier, more sustainable food service programs with the support and encouragement of Health Care Without Harm’s (HCWH) Healthy Food in Health Care (HFHC) Campaign. The campaign is marking Food Day by celebrating accomplishments in sustainability being made in hospital food services across the country. Food Day is a nationwide celebration and a movement for healthy, affordable, and sustainable food. moreEnvironmental Health News
October 12, 2012, The Nation
By Kendra Klein
By Kendra Klein
A New Prescription For the Local Food Movement
Excerpt: "Some hospitals, like St. Joe's in Ann Arbor, are seeking out local food—but for the local food movement, meeting their needs is a challenge." moreJuly 31, 2012,
Other Chemical News
Excerpt: "Health Care Without Harm is one of 35 groups file comments supporting EPA efforts to reduce exposure to toxic flame retardants. Kelli Barber, RN, MN, chair of HCWH's Nurse Working Group, was quoted in a press release from Sen.Max Baucus announcing the Senator's support for the Safe Chemicals Act and his decision to co-sponsor the bill." moreJuly 27, 2012, The Huffington Post Blog
By Lisa P. Jackson, EPA Administrator
By Lisa P. Jackson, EPA Administrator
Updating Our Chemical Laws After 36 Years
Excerpt: "In 1976, Congress passed the Toxic Substances Control Act -- or TSCA -- to protect our health from the increasing number of chemicals in our products and our environment. In the four decades since its passage, many laws have changed to better protect our safety, yet TSCA has not." moreReports and Publications
June 13, 2012
Health Care Research Collaborative
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. moreApril 1, 2012
Health Care Research Collaborative
Health Care Research Collaborative
Creating a Culture of Sustainability
Sustainability seeks to balance and simultaneously optimize environmental, social and financial concerns. Sustainability in healthcare represents a particularly challenging undertaking as it necessarily encompasses the wide variety of facilities, operations and activities in a typical healthcare organization. moreSeptember 2011
Health Care Research Collaborative
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. moreWebinar: How Sustainable Hospitals Are Achieving Major Savings
Health Care Without Harm and The Commonwealth Fund present a webinar based on the recent groundbreaking findings on how hospitals can achieve savings and reduce their carbon footprint through sustainability programs. This one-hour webinar draws on the findings of a recent Health Care Without Harm Research Collaborative/ Commonwealth Fund study, "Can Sustainable Hospitals Help Bend the Health Care Cost Curve?" which shows that savings from interventions to reduce energy use and waste, and achieve operating room supply efficiencies could exceed $5.4 billion over five years and $15 billion over 10 years for the health care sector. In addition to detailing the study findings, the webinar includes presentations from two health systems about why they chose to focus on sustainability and what challenges and rewards are in store.
Key Resources
- Energy Impact Calculator
What are your facility's energy health impacts and costs? What can you do to improve them?
- Learn about Practice Greenhealth and the Healthcare Clean Energy Exchange
- Green Guide for Health Care Report:
A Prescriptive Path to Energy Efficiency for Hospitals
download report (pdf) read abstract (pdf) - Healthcare Energy Project Guidebook, designed to provide decision makers with knowledge about improving energy efficiency (pdf)
