Reprocessing and remanufacturing of single use devices (SUD) stands out as a pioneering model for reducing healthcare-generated waste – for simultaneous reducing environmental waste and supply expense, while requiring no upfront capital investment. Reprocessing is a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved way of reusing certain medical equipment, after the equipment is sterilized and tested for proper function.
Industry-wide only about 2 percent of all medical devices are suitable candidates for reprocessing. However, with approved clinical and technical expertise, that 2 percent may be remanufactured to perform at its original level for one or more additional uses. Many times clinicians are not aware that reprocessing these devices is a safe and effective part of the health facility’s sustainability initiatives, so they often dispose of them after a single use.
Practice Greenhealth, Ascent, and HealthTrust will host webinars and provide educational materials that identify FDA-approved reprocessing opportunities.
“This partnership is the first to specifically target clinicians and practitioners, to help educate them on the actions they can take to help their institution’
“There are many sustainability success stories within our membership, and we are pleased to promote them as examples of best practice,” said J. Michael Jones, Director of Clinical Education and Sustainability for HealthTrust.
“By simply employing the reprocessing cycle, thousands of tons of waste are diverted from landfills annually,” said Arthur Goodrich, vice president, Marketing and Business Development, Ascent Healthcare Solutions. “Health care workers who identify these products and help to make sure they are captured in the proper reprocessing collection system after use play a crucial role in achieving sustainability within the health care facility.”
Practice Greenhealth is the nation’s leading membership and networking organization for institutions in the health care community that have made a commitment to sustainable, eco-friendly practices. Members include hospitals, health care systems, businesses and other stakeholders engaged in the greening of health care to improve the health of patients, staff and the environment. www.practicegreenhealth.org
HealthTrust Purchasing Group, headquartered in Brentwood, Tenn., is a group purchasing organization that supports nearly 1,400 not-for-profit and for-profit acute care facilities, as well as ambulatory surgery centers, physician practices, and alternate care sites. With an annual purchasing volume by its members of more than $15 billion, HealthTrust is committed to obtaining the best price for clinically-recommended products, ensuring their timely delivery and continuously evaluating and improving its services to the patients, physicians and clinicians it serves. HealthTrust is located at 155 Franklin Road, Suite 400, Brentwood, TN 37027. The Web site is www.healthtrustpg.com.
Ascent Healthcare Solutions leads the medical device industry’s development of more sustainable and responsible solutions in health care. Reprocessing and remanufacturing medical devices are the single most impactful sustainability initiatives currently undertaken by hospitals in the U.S. Our reprocessing and remanufacturing programs allow our partner hospitals to divert thousands of pounds of medical waste from landfills and to redirect substantial financial resources to patient care quality initiatives. Providing the means for both patient care quality and environmental benefit with no loss of safety or quality, Ascent works with all leading national group purchasing organizations as well as numerous nationally recognized hospital integrated delivery networks, including most of U.S. News and World Report’s “Honor Roll” hospitals. www.ascenths.com
