Going green for patients and future generations

From North County to the South Bay, more patients are treated at Sharp facilities than any other health care system in San Diego. But like all health care organizations, running these facilities can have an impact on the environment — an impact that Sharp is dedicated to improving.

Through All Ways Green™, an initiative that implements sustainability projects, Sharp is committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2040. And while the first phase has already made strides in achieving this goal, from increased recycling to decreased water use, the second phase is set to truly move the needle.

“Sharp has already started initiatives to reduce our carbon footprint,” says Rob Turner, Sharp’s director of Facilities Management and Development. “Energy-efficient LED lighting is continuing to be installed throughout the system, and we have recently completed a large-scale energy conservation project that has set us up for our next phase of improvements.”

One area of focus in this next phase is waste reduction. Sharp is doing its part to preserve the Earth for future generations through two exciting initiatives: the reprocessing of medical devices and an investment in environmentally friendly IV bags.

Giving new life to medical devices

Through a partnership with Medline Renewal, Sharp sends single-use medical devices to a processing facility in Oregon where they are sterilized and restored to their original quality and functionality. From tourniquets to compression sleeves, devices get a second chance and, most importantly, steer clear of landfills.

A recent study found that through reprocessing, the global warming impact of medical devices could be cut in half, ozone depletion decreased by 90%, and the use of resources such as water and minerals could go down 29%.

“Since implementing our partnership with Medline Renewal, we have diverted more than 115,000 pounds of medical waste from landfills,” says Ryan Koos, Sharp’s chief supply chain officer. “In addition to being a cost savings that allows us to put our focus on patient care, this is one piece in a bigger picture of making us a leader in environmental protection.”

Transitioning to better IV bags

Sharp caregivers rely on IV bags to deliver fluids, medications and nutrients to their patients. These bags are often made using plastic materials that can harm the environment and packaged in a bulky or nonrecyclable way.

Sharp is minimizing these impacts by partnering with B. Braun Medical, a leading medical device and pharmaceutical company that manufactures IV bags designed with the environment in mind.

These advanced IV bags:

• Do not use PVC, a type of plastic that could have environmental risks

• Do not use DEHP, a chemical sometimes used to soften PVC

• Are packaged with less plastic, reducing landfill waste

• Are packaged using recycled paper from an outside source

This small change has significant results, diverting 34,000 pounds of IV bag waste every 5 years. From a financial standpoint, that equates to $89,000 in savings in disposal and shipping costs, allowing for better funding for other environmental initiatives.

The future is brighter … and greener

According to Turner, Sharp is proud of these partnerships and all the work the organization has done so far to transform the way they operate. He says he and his colleagues know that the health of the planet is key to Sharp’s core mission to improve the health of its patients.

“Sharp continues to explore opportunities,” says Turner. “The reduction of our carbon footprint continues to gain momentum, and we won’t stop until we reach our goal.”

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