PRODUCT & SERVICE LINE REPORTS “Product transparency and visibility


into product components is essential for purchasers. Purchasers should know what is included within the products being used for patient care. Many healthcare providers are prioritizing products that have a low carbon footprint, reduce or eliminate waste, or are made without harmful chemicals of concern, such as flame retardants and bisphenols which adversely affect human health. By pri- oritizing transparency into components, purchasers can select the products that further improvements in multiple areas, from safer chemicals to decreased carbon emissions. These selections, safer products purchased at increased rates, will signal to manufacturers to focus on sustainable criteria for the future.


“The lack of standardization is a top concern within sustainable procurement. Currently, many purchasers struggle


to determine which products are more sustainable than others due to rampant greenwashing, wherein an organization makes untrue claims about the positive impact of its product or service on the environment, while suppliers may hesi- tate with sustainable product re-design efforts due to lack of clarity. Tracking which products, contracts and suppliers are environmentally preferred within a database improves efforts to manage sus- tainable procurement, benchmark against peers and partner with suppliers to battle climate change together. Sustainability in healthcare requires that providers, suppli- ers and group purchasers be at the table to move the needle towards a safer future. Data visibility and transparency should be a priority for all.


“Contracting for sustainably designed products is critical to signal purchasing priorities to supplier partners. This will


ensure your supply partners know up front what your organizational priori- ties are and also showcase a heightened level of awareness by holding suppliers accountable to purchasing standards. A standardized contract template, which includes sustainable product and service criteria ensures various departments within an organization will all receive the safest and cleanest products for their patients, family members and providers.”


Cristina Indiveri, Associate Vice


President, Strategic Programs and Contract Services, Vizient


1.Conserving/reducing energy and resource consumption


2.Reducing chemicals of concern 3.Reprocessing/reusing products


Paul Murphy, Vice President, Major


Accounts & Vertical Markets, Canon Solutions America Inc.


Why not simply do nothing about sustainability in healthcare? by Rick Dana Barlow


T


he United States of America may have sustained the existence of the “Know- Nothing Party” in the mid-1850s, but here in the early 21st


century apprehen-


sion, cynicism, indifference, procrastination and skepticism are among the culprits of a “Do-Nothing Party” when it comes to implementing sustainability projects and programs within healthcare organizations. While plenty of hospitals and nonacute care facilities have implemented sustain- ability efforts through the years, plenty more have yet to do it with the naysay- ers typically using budgets, economics and priorities as motivation for their eco- friendly malaise. Still, by and large, the healthcare industry seems to lumber along at a glacial, if not snail’s, pace and remains in operation for millions upon millions of patients. So what if much of the industry did nothing about the environment and just maintained the status quo on sustainability?


After posing that question you’d think


you lit the fuse of a powder keg, albeit a fuse made from sustainable organic hemp, of course.


Small part of bigger picture “This work is part of an organization’s con- tinuous improvement efforts,” said Mary tarr, Chief perating fficer, reenhealth


Exchange. “Maintaining the status quo would be like saying the clinical products we use are adequate so there is no need to look at any new technology. Healthcare organizations’ missions typically focus on health, and sustainability plays a significant role in the health of patients, employees and the community, so it must be con- stantly evaluated for improvements.”


Maybe it’s even larger “The link between human health and plan- etary health is clear. Health systems exist to keep people healthy; healthy people are harder to come by in an increasingly unhealthy world,” observed Evelyn Miller, Senior Manager, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), Medline Industries. “Just like many health systems are step- ping up to address social determinants of health in their community to advance health equity, they must also consider their own impact as it relates to climate change. If you’re not working to address climate change, are you really working toward greater health and well-being?”


Cause, effect tops symptoms “In the healthcare industry, organiza- tions have already mastered the ability to manage symptoms for the illnesses their patients present,” indicated Mikhail


Davis, Director of Technical Sustainability, Interface . “But if we want to improve the overall health of our communities, we must look at underlying causes. With climate change as the No. 1 public health concern for our society and purchasing being the No. 1 impact of businesses on climate change, if your organization does not have a plan to confront climate change through prioritizing low carbon purchasing, you are not doing everything that you can to promote public health.”


What a dangerous idea “Doing nothing is just not an option, and hospitals who ignore the call to make the environment a supply chain issue will do so at their peril,” noted Lars Thording, Vice President, Marketing & Public Affairs, Innovative Health. “Consumers have made purchasing choices based on the environ- ment for decades, and this is coming to healthcare rapidly today. In addition, political pressure to adopt environmen- tally friendly policies mandatory are likely to arrive at the hospital doorstep soon.”


You’re kidding, right?


“This is not an option,” detonated Paul Murphy, Vice President, Major Accounts & Vertical Markets, Canon Solutions America Inc.


hpnonline.com • HEALTHCARE PURCHASING NEWS • November 2022 53


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