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BWH has reduced its carbon footprint in the last year, thanks to the ideas and work of 26 environmentally-friendly BWHers on the Product Utilization Review Committee (PURC)
“As we celebrate our first year, I’m happy to report that our hospital has improved patient care and simultaneously has benefited from waste reducing, environmentally friendly and cost-effective alternatives,” said Leo F. Buckley Jr., director of Business Services for Patient Care Services, who co-chairs the committee with Andrew Madden, director of Materials Management. “We hope to continue with this huge success.”
The committee got a jump start last March during its kick off Go Green 2009 contest, when BWHers provided nearly 700 ideas about how the hospital could reduce waste.
Since then, PURC members have reviewed products and practices used by Patient Care Services departments and put many resource-saving ideas into action. Already, the committee helped create an office supply exchange program, replaced disposable operating room head and elbow rests with reusable gel rests and replaced pre-printed patient education materials with customizable electronic materials for patients who do not want print materials.
One major change—washing patient bedspreads only when needed or upon request—has the potential to save 1 million gallons of water per year. This practice eliminates the daily laundering of spreads to save water and energy. Bed sheets are changed daily. “We will continue to change sheets daily and will always change the spreads when necessary or if a patient or family asks us to,” Buckley said.
With all improvements, the committee maintains its focus on excellent patient care. “We are committed never to compromise quality or standards of care for cost savings,” said Carol M. Corbett, MS, RN, nurse educator for Tower 11BD and 11A, one of nine clinical staff who serve on PURC.
Next week, the PURC will host another Go Green Contest.On Wednesday, March 17, 6:30 a.m. - 1 p.m., stop by an information table across from the Shop on the Pike and share your environmentally friendly, waste-reducing, cost-effective idea for BWH. All those who submit a “Go Green” idea at the table will be entered for a chance to win a 26-inch flat screen TV.
Some of the members of the Product Utilization Review Committee during a recent meeting.