Return to: 2008 Annual Report Introduction

Medical Community Segment

Membership:

• Stanford University Medical Center
• Palo Alto Medical Foundation

Team Meeting Frequency:

• Internal Green Teams will meet monthly.
• “CEAP Connected” meets bi-monthly.

Actions Taken

• Inventory of current sustainable practices; establishing baseline of activities.
• Follow “Practice Greenhealth” and “Green Guide for Healthcare” operations guidelines, assessing status of sustainable programs in key areas:
• Key operational areas include; mercury elimination, universal waste recycling, solid waste reduction programs, reuse initiatives, recycling programs, wellness, hazardous waste and chemical minimization, environmentally preferable purchasing, facilities operations, transportation, energy management and other innovative opportunities.
• Forming internal Green Teams, key to organization-wide initiative implementation.
• Sharing resources specific to healthcare for information and education on best practices.
• Sharing group advocacy and professional affiliations with team members (e.g.. Healthcare Without Harm, Practice Greenhealth).
• Organizations enrolled in City of Palo Alto Utility, CARE Program.
• Identified rebate or project-partnership programs, to assist with energy assessment and retrofit for efficiency in operations.
• Sustainable building standards incorporated into new construction design planning.

Goals

• Continue to identify and execute energy and resource conservation actions.
• Enroll in EPA Energy Star for energy benchmarking in healthcare.
• Continue to identify and execute additional waste diversion opportunities.
• Plan Earth Day event for staff education on internal and external community activities surrounding sustainability.
• Share best practices, resources, results.

Future Segment Involvment

• Recruit additional medical segment members to include medical offices.
• Host forums with medical-segment, sustainability content and speakers.
• Create “Green Specialist” roster with content-expertise, available to medical professionals in their respective areas.