2008 Environmental Excellence Award Winners
Oregon Hospitals Honored

May 2008 - Eight Oregon hospitals were recognized among 141 healthcare recipients by Practice Greenhealth (formerly Hospitals for a Healthy Environment) for outstanding achievements in improving the healthcare industry's environmental performance. Providence Portland and Providence St. Vincent Medical Centers were inducted into the Environmental Leadership Circle, the nation’s highest environmental honor for hospitals. Other local hospitals in the Leadership circle include Legacy Health System (5 hospitals) and Oregon Health Sciences University. Legacy Health System was one of four healthcare systems presented with the Systems for Change Award.

The Center has been working closely with all three of these systems on electronics waste, local food procurement, and other toxics reduction and sustainability projects. We are proud to be part of their progress!

Tom Badrick of Legacy Heath Systems accepting award

Dorcas Safly of OHSU accepting award

Mike Geller and Dan Stevens of Providence Health and Services accepting awards

OCEH Addresses Electronics Procurement and Disposal

The Center's latest HCWH initiative addresses the issue of electronic waste. Equipment used in hospitals such as computers, televisions, lab analyzers, and EKG monitors contain many hazardous constituents - from lead in cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors to chlorinated plastics in cable wiring, brominated flame retardants in circuit boards and mercury in LCD displays. The hazardous substances found in electronics have been linked to human health effects like cancer, birth defects, and hormone disruption. In addition, this waste is often sent to be "recycled" in developing companies without regulations - exposing communities and ecosystems to dangerous chemicals.

Beginning April 2007, the Center will work with three major hospital systems (OHSU, Legacy Health System and Providence Health & Seri\vices) in the Portland metro area to develop purchasing guidelines and contracting information to ensure that electronic waste from the three systems is handled responsibly. New purchasing criteria will focus on a preference for products that are manufactured with fewer toxic chemicals and heavy metals and a preference for manufacturers with end-of-life take back programs, while new waste management procedures will be put into place for proper reuse and recycling of electronics. The Center's goal in the second year of the project is to expand the program to additional health systems.