environment

Kaiser Permanente has set a goal to reduce its overall greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2020, compared to its 2008 levels. Unit-based teams can play a part in greening our environment and saving money. Involve your team in tests of change around recycling or reducing supply waste.

1. Coordinate with other departments, such as EVS, materials management or procurement and supply, on green tests of change — or “embed” a member of one of these departments in your UBT.
2. Work with your facility’s waste-hauling vendors to find out what types of materials and supplies can be recycled, and place recycling bins strategically in cafeterias and near exits.
3. Cut down on costly, wasteful single-use medical devices or supplies as part of performance improvement efforts.
4. EVS teams: Switch to environmentally friendly cleaning products and supplies.
5. Invite your teammates to shop for locally sourced, organic fruits and vegetables at the nearest KP weekly farmer’s market.
6. Host a monthly healthy salad bar, like the UBT at San Diego’s Positive Choice clinic did in its successful effort to improve attendance.
7. Replace thirsty plants for drought-tolerant alternatives, as several teams in Northern and Southern California have done.
8. Go paperless: Don’t print out agendas and documents; send them out via email or show on a projector instead.
9. Recruit a champion in your department to be on the lookout for new opportunities and coach others on greening their workplace.

The Moanalua Medical Center in Honolulu is saving the planet, one unit-based team at a time.

The Ambulatory Surgery Recovery UBT started collecting small bags of recyclables on its own in March. But team members resorted to some “trash talking,” and now the entire medical center collects about 30 pounds of recyclables each week.

“The original goal was to help our aina (land) thrive,” says Avis Yasumura, RN, the team’s union co-lead and member of the Hawaii Nurses Association, OPEIU Local 50. “Being on an island, there are limited space and resources.”

The region estimates that since October 2010, the recycling has diverted 7.1 tons from the landfill and saved several hundred dollars in recycling fees.

The ASR team started by identifying items on its unit that a local vendor was willing to collect and recycle: irrigation bags, wrappers for intravenous tubing and operating room “peel packs” (sterile wraps for drapes, instruments, gowns and gloves). The team used tests of change to successfully gather and segregate the items.

ASR shared its effective practices in several ways, including:

• a PowerPoint presentation on products that can be recycled
• “Going Green” editions of its UBT newsletter and fliers with pictures of recyclables
• helping other units order blue recycle containers and arranging for pick up with the EVS department

The team also promoted the project at Hawaii’s first UBT fair, with a colorful storyboard display, complete with examples of recyclable products.

“It was the talk of the UBT fair,” says ASR co-lead Janet Lundberg, nurse manager of procedural sedation. “This recognition inspires all UBTs to take risks.”

More than 10 teams at the 300-bed center are recycling now.

Where did the ASR unit get the recycling bug in the first place? Carolyn Sandison, an HNA nurse, was inspired by an LMP bulletin board poster in her break room about the blue-wrap recycling project at Sand Canyon Surgicenter in Southern California.