UF Health Shands earns national award for OR environmental innovation

In recognition of standard-setting innovation and environmental stewardship, UF Health Shands Hospital has earned a 2018 Greening the OR Recognition Award from Practice Greenhealth, an organization dedicated to environmental sustainability in health care.

Operating rooms are large contributors to a health care facility’s environmental footprint, creating an opportunity for significant cost savings and sustainability improvements. The award recognizes the facility demonstrating the most success in reducing the environmental impact of its surgical suites.

“We are committed to environmentally sound health care and to ensuring the well-being and safety of our patients, staff and community,” said UF Health Shands CEO Ed Jimenez, who leads the Gainesville-based network of hospitals and associated outpatient programs. “We are proud to be recognized among the nation’s leaders in driving the greening of ORs across the country.”

Among the sustainable practices at UF Health are the use of reusable versus disposable medical devices, intravenous drug waste reduction, narcotic waste management, waste anesthetic gas reduction, and efforts to engage staff and leadership in health care pollution prevention.

“We are committed to reducing the environmental impact in the operating room. As new members of Practice Greenhealth, we’re honored to receive a Greening the OR Recognition Award this year,” said Lauren Berkow, a University of Florida associate professor of neuroanesthesiology and a member of the UF Sustainability Committee.

The recognition award was presented to 57 U.S. hospitals this year at the Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellence Awards Gala in San Diego.