Health Care Sector Supports Chemical Reform

On the eve of the House hearing on the “Toxic Chemicals Safety Act of 2010,” a bill intended to overhaul the nation’s chemical regulatory system, the health care sector is highlighting the link between preventing disease, containing costs, and reforming the law. more 

Health Care Calls for Antibiotics Legislation

Health care practitioners and hospitals ask Congress for legislation to protect effectiveness of antibiotics by limiting non-therapeutic use in food animals. more 

Mercury-Free Health Care – Toward the Tipping Point

As the world’s governments begin negotiations to forge a mercury treaty, WHO and HCWH have issued a two-year progress report on the global Mercury-Free Health Care Initiative. more 

Making a Dent in Medical Waste

Excerpt: "New York Times article providing an overview of reprocessing as a strategy to reduce medical waste. "  more 

Phthalates Raising Concerns

Excerpt: "Chemical additives found in everything from nail polish to shower curtains to window blinds may be linked to various health problems. As The Graduate once predicted, plastics have become ubiquitous. Unfortunately a common chemical additive of this now-indispensable material, called phthalates, is raising some concerns."  more 

Hospitals Adding Fresh, Organic Food to the Menu

Excerpt: "More hospitals in the U.S. are offering organic produce and hormone- and antibiotic-free meats and dairy foods in response to a trend toward healthier eating habits. Spurred by patient demand, concerns about setting a healthful example and a desire to make notoriously bad hospital food nutritious and appetizing, more hospitals are making strides in serving their patients fresh, organic and local produce alongside meats and dairy foods that are hormone- and antibiotic-free, as well as minimally processed."  more 

Revised GGHC Operations Section Released

Excerpt: "The most significant revision to the Green Guide for Health Care Version 2.2 Operations section to date has been released, marking the completion of a rigorous development process including two public comment periods."  more 

Minding the Gap: Research Priorities to Address Pharmaceuticals in the Environment

The purposes of this report are to 1) provide an overview of known information about the life cycle of exposure pathways of pharmaceuticals in the environment, 2) identify the gaps in our knowledge, and 3) make a series of recommendations for further research, policy discussion, and action along the pipeline of exposure pathways. more 

A Research Agenda for Advancing Patient, Worker and Environmental Health and Safety in the Health Care Sector

This paper focuses on research within the health care sector in the U.S. centering on patient, worker and environmental health and safety. It identifies research priorities at the intersection of these "three safeties." It describes the Health Care Without Harm / Global Safety and Health Initiative (HCWH/GHSI) Research Collaborative, from whose work this Research Agenda was developed. It identifies research priorities in the near- and long-term at the intersection of the three safeties. more 

The Accuracy of Alternatives to Mercury Sphygmomanometers

This monograph comprises a review of the medical literature that evaluates the accuracy of mercury, aneroid, and oscillometric blood pressure devices. Although most professional organizations still require mercury for validation protocols, electronic pressure gauges offer superior accuracy and should be substituted for mercury manometers for calibration and validation. Organizations that publish validation and calibration protocols should immediately re-evaluate their recommendations regarding the use of mercury devices. more 

Healthy Hospitals, Healthy Planet, Healthy People: Addressing Climate Change in Health Care Settings

(Discussion Draft) This 32-page discussion draft produced by the World Health Organization and Health Care Without Harm says that the healthcare sector can lead the way against climate change. A radical overhaul of energy consumption in healthcare must take place if Europe is to meet a target of an 80% cut in carbon emissions by 2050. A new report by HCWH and the World Health Organization shows how the health sector can improve energy efficiency and adopt greener approaches to its services. more