4260.0: Tuesday, November 18, 2003: 4:30 PM-6:00 PM | |||
Oral | |||
| |||
| Concern about the health care industry's contributions to environmental health problems, often from community-based coalitions, has resulted in significant policy changes in California for hospitals' environmental management practices. New strategies are emerging to reduce the volume of medical waste in hospitals; to utilize alternative treatment technologies for potentially infectious medical waste; to select safer products in medical supplies; and to retrofit buildings with environmental stewardship as a priority. This session will examine recent developments and circumstances in California's healthcare industry which are driving market change in the state. The size and influence of California's market will likely foretell changes to come elsewhere in the country. Founded in 1996, Health Care Without Harm is an international coalition of 390 organizations in 40 countries. Its members include the American Nurses Association, California Nurses Association, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Kaiser Permanente, Catholic Healthcare West, and the AFL-CIO. The mission of the campaign is to transform the health care industry so it is no longer a source of environmental harm, without compromising safety or care. | |||
| Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, participants will learn how California healthcare providers are responding to increased public concerns and a changing regulatory environment by reducing medical waste toxicity and volume; spurring the approval of non-incineration treatment technologies; switching away from problematic materials in medical devices; and incorporating "green building" standards into the construction / rehabilitation of medical facilities. | |||
| See individual abstracts for presenting author's disclosure statement and author's information. | |||
| Polly Hoppin, ScD Susan West Marmagas, MPH | |||
| Davis A. Baltz, MS | |||
| Health Care Without Harm: Environmental health considerations drive change in California's health care industry Davis A. Baltz, MS | |||
| Eliminating DEHP from California hospitals Julie Silas, JD | |||
| Hospital pollution prevention responses to the end of medical waste incineration in California Katherine Gerwig | |||
| Treatment alternatives to medical waste incineration in California Jorge Emmanuel, PhD, PE, CHMM | |||
| Building green health care: Opportunities from California seismic retrofit requirements Tom Lent | |||
| Organized by: | Environment | ||
| Endorsed by: | Alternative and Complementary Health Practices; Medical Care; Occupational Health and Safety | ||
| CE Credits: | CME, Environmental Health, Health Education (CHES), Nursing, Pharmacy | ||