Association of Medical Device Reprocessors

UC Davis Health System received a 2012 “Partner for Change” Award from Practice Greenhealth, the nation’s premier membership organization for health-care facilities committed to environmentally responsible operations. The award is one of the organization’s Environmental Excellence Awards given each year to honor outstanding environmental achievements in the health-care sector.

The Partner for Change Award recognizes health-care facilities that continuously improve and expand upon their mercury elimination, waste reduction and source-reduction programs. At a minimum, facilities applying for this award must be recycling 15 percent of their total waste, are well along the way to mercury elimination, and have developed other successful pollution prevention programs in many different areas.

The award was presented on May 2 in Denver, Colo., at CleanMed 2012, a major national environmental conference for leaders in health-care sustainability….

John Danby, Sustainability Administrator at the health system, said that many of the sustainability achievements recognized by Practice Greenhealth are associated with the health system’s cost-containment strategies. One notable example is the reprocessing of single-use medical devices, a program that keeps the devices out of the medical waste stream.

Once the devices are reprocessed to a level where their quality equals a new product, the health system can purchase them back at a fraction of the cost of a new device, Danby said…

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Naval Hospital Bremerton’s Sustainability Team has recognized its main operating room staff on Earth Day April 20 for implementing and maintaining sustainable practices, according to Waste Management World:

One such sustainability plan put into place by the Main OR staff involved medical supplies involved in laparoscopic usage during a procedure. Much is disposable and not reusable. But the instrumentation once used is recyclable. Plastic parts can be grinded and/or melted down; metal components of copper and steel can be separated, recovered and reused. “Due to our case load, we might use a dozen specific devices a day and instead of them now ending up in a landfill, each is recycled,” said Stevenson….

…The Main OR used to throw away three, 30-gallon bags of garbage per total joint surgery case. Now they recycle three, 30-gallon bags of plastic and have just one 15-gallon bag that is now thrown away.

Business Wire

April 30th, 2012

Stryker, a leader in medical device reprocessing, has co-founded a coalition of 17 elite healthcare suppliers with Practice Greenhealth to advance the purchase of products and processes that are less hazardous to the environment. The Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) Business Leadership Coalition was developed in response to hospital leaders’ requests for an increasing number of products that support their sustainability goals.

“Hospitals can lower their environmental footprint by saving water or reducing greenhouse gas emissions, for example; but, they depend on suppliers when it comes to the environmental impact of the products they purchase,” said Brian White, President of Stryker’s Sustainability Solutions division. “Hospitals are asking suppliers to step up and become partners in this effort. It is critical that as suppliers, we begin working towards more environmentally responsible products and solutions. In addition to developing new products, this coalition is about increased transparency and accountability to drive outcomes that lead to a more environmentally and financially sustainable industry.”…

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Stryker’s Sustainability Solutions division is the leading provider of reprocessing and remanufacturing services for medical devices as well as comprehensive recycling and redistribution initiatives. For more information about Stryker’s commitment to the smart, efficient delivery of healthcare, visit sustainability.stryker.com or protectoursavings.com.

Healthcare Purchasing News

April 26th, 2012

Three respected Sterile Processing managers today launched a new online forum for CS professionals, “Reprocess This!”

The new blog was developed to create “a medium for sterile processing managers to network and discuss the hard-hitting issues that are facing the industry,” said Jennifer Burrell, BS, CRCST, CSPDM, one of the three SPD professionals writing regularly for the forum.

Burrell, a microbiologist, is Director of Education and Clinical Compliance for IMS, the nationwide surgical instrument management and consulting provider that is hosting “Reprocess This!” IMS provides SPD management and clinical consulting in the OR, repair for surgical and endoscopic equipment, instrument and device inventory management; real-time online data and tools to track instruments, tissue, and implants…  

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To visit this new online forum, go to www.reprocessthis.com.

For more information about “Reprocess This!” write to info@reprocessthis.com.

MarketWatch

Posted on April 17th, 2012

Reprocessed Products Gaining Popularity to Reduce Environmental Harm

Sterilmed, Inc., a leader in the reprocessing and remanufacturing of single-use medical devices in the United States, has announced that it will sponsor CleanMed, the nation’s most important conference on health care sustainability, to be held in Denver, Co, April 30-May 2, 2012, as well as CleanMed Europe 2012, which will be held in Malmo, Sweden on Sept. 26-28, 2012.

“We welcome Sterilmed as a sponsor of CleanMed and CleanMed Europe,” stated Gary Cohen, president of Health Care Without Harm, which founded and sponsors both CleanMed and CleanMed Europe. “An important component of sustainable health care is recycling and reusing medical products, so Sterilmed’s sponsorship will increase the awareness among attendees of the safety and environmental aspects of reprocessed medical devices and other similar products.”

…”Sterilmed is very excited about this opportunity to support health care sustainability by sponsoring these two important conferences,” stated Mike Gustafson, president of Sterilmed. “More and more, hospitals are turning to third-party reprocessing, which not only contributes to sustainability goals but also reduces costs. Even hospitals choosing not to use restored devices can still have a positive impact on the environment by allowing Sterilmed to collect the devices — diverting literal tons of waste from traditionally expensive medical waste streams. Sterilmed is pleased to be part of this movement and contribute positively to the environment.”

Click Here to Read the Full Press Release

CleanMed is the premier global conference on environmentally sustainable health care. CleanMed’s mission is to accelerate the health care sector’s commitment to environmental sustainability and regenerative health to improve the health of people and the environment. For more information, visit www.cleanmed.org .

CleanMed Europe is THE European conference on sustainability within the health care sector. The conference addresses the environmental impact of the health care sector on a local, regional, and global level. CleanMed Europe offers a wide spectrum of presentations and workshops on today’s most pressing environmental issues, presented by leading international experts and organisations. Founded in 2001 by the non-profit organization Health Care Without Harm, the conference serves as a clearing house for cutting-edge practices related to designing and building greener hospitals, creating healthier food systems and promoting preventive medicine. For more information, contact http://www.cleanmedeurope.org/index.php.

EP Lab Digest

Posted on April 17th, 2012

Stryker’s Sustainability Solutions division, a leader in medical device reprocessing, introduced Restep®, the company’s pioneering deep vein thrombosis (DVT) solution. Restep addresses a critical need in the market for comprehensive device solutions that deliver fiscal and environmental value to hospitals by integrating original manufactured and reprocessed medical devices. Its introduction signifies the growing role suppliers play in offering quality care solutions that address the needs of clinicians, hospitals and patients while benefiting the environment.

“Restep marks the first time we can tangibly demonstrate what the integration of reprocessing into the OEM business model means for the industry. By creating a medical device solution that integrates original manufactured and reprocessed devices, we have introduced a new precedent in how technology suppliers can offer value to hospitals,” said Lars Thording, Stryker Sustainability Solutions’ senior director of marketing and public affairs. “Value lies in true sustainability – environmental and financial sustainability. With Restep, hospitals will be able to opt for less environmentally impactful products without sacrificing quality or financial prudence…”

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About Stryker
Stryker is one of the world’s leading medical technology companies and is dedicated to helping healthcare professionals perform their jobs more efficiently while enhancing patient care. The company offers a diverse array of innovative medical technologies, including reconstructive, medical and surgical, and neurotechnology and spine products to help people lead more active and more satisfying lives. For more information about Stryker, please visit www.stryker.com.

Stryker’s Sustainability Solutions division is the leading provider of reprocessing and remanufacturing services for medical devices as well as comprehensive recycling and redistribution initiatives. For more information about Stryker’s commitment to the smart, efficient delivery of healthcare, visit sustainability.stryker.com or protectoursavings.com.