NUHEALTH SYSTEM PARTNERS WITH STERICYCLE, INC., WITH NUMC AS FIRST HOSPITAL IN NEW YORK, TO IMPLEMENT COMPREHENSIVE RECYCLING AND WASTE DIVERSION PROGRAM, HELPING TO IMPROVE AIR AND WATER QUALITY, COMMUNITY HEALTH AND SAFETY
MARCH 22, 2010
CONTACT: SHELLEY LOTENBERG
516-572-6055
SHELLEY@NUMC.EDU
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
NUHEALTH SYSTEM PARTNERS WITH STERICYCLE, INC., WITH NUMC AS FIRST HOSPITAL IN NEW YORK, TO IMPLEMENT COMPREHENSIVE RECYCLING AND WASTE DIVERSION PROGRAM, HELPING TO IMPROVE AIR AND WATER QUALITY, COMMUNITY HEALTH AND SAFETY
INITIATIVES FOCUSED ON REUSABLE SHARP CONTAINERS, PROPER PHARMACEUTICAL WASTE DISPOSAL AND OVERALL WASTE DIVERSION
IMPLEMENTING BEST PRACTICES ACROSS MULTIPLE WASTE STREAMS, WITH FOCUS ON RECYCLING OPPORTUNITIES AND SOLID WASTE REDUCTION
East Meadow, NY & Lake Forest, Ill. – March 22, 2010 – Arthur A. Gianelli, President/CEO of the NuHealth System, announced his commitment to help improve air and water quality by implementing Stericycle’s (NASQ:SRCL) Integrated Waste Stream Solutions service that includes a strong focus on green initiatives, ranging from keeping pharmaceutical drugs out of the water or plastic and cardboard out of landfills.
“I am excited to have the Nassau University Medical Center as the first hospital in New York to implement Stericycle’s Integrated Waste Stream Solutions to decrease the hospital’s impact on the environment and to help improve air and water quality, community health and safety,” stated Gianelli. “These initiatives are focused on reusable sharps containers, proper pharmaceutical waste disposal and overall waste diversion and recycling efforts. NUMC is one of an increasing number of leading hospitals in the country implementing best practices across multiple waste streams, with a focus on recycling opportunities and solid waste reduction.”
A recent study by the University of Chicago Hospitals published in the JAMA, found that the American healthcare sector accounts for 8% of the US carbon footprint. The analysis found that hospitals are by far the largest contributor of carbon emissions in the healthcare sector. As hospitals begin to explore environmental best practices, “green teams” are seeking ways to improve facility and health systems’ practices. Few tools exist that specifically help determine a hospital’s environmental impact.
Choosing reusable containers for all of its used sharps, such as needles and scalpels, keeps plastic out of landfills, NuHealth Systems expects in one year to prevent 49,326 pounds of carbon emissions by diverting 84,213 pounds of plastic and 4,383 pounds of cardboard from landfills. This number is the equivalent of not burning 2,540 gallons of gasoline2.
Since 1986, U.S. hospitals like NuHealth Systems that are using the Stericycle Sharps Management System with Bio Systems reusable containers have kept more than 78 million disposable containers out of landfills. Each reusable container saves the equivalent of 600 from later going to landfills.
In addition to focusing on air quality, hospitals are major users of pharmaceuticals and are seeking assistance to effectively manage pharmaceutical waste. Between 1993 and 2009, more than 1,500 drugs were approved by the FDA. The 1999-2000 U.S. Geological Survey found 80% of streams sampled had at least one waste contaminant1. Waste contaminants included pharmaceutical drugs such as endocrine disrupters and antibiotics. In a similar study in 2008, an Associated Press survey reported a detection of pharmaceuticals in drinking water that serves 41 million Americans.
Karen Benrubi, Special Assistant to the President/CEO, who worked with Stericycle officials on the implementation of the program, indicated: “I am delighted to have focused, along with the Stericycle management team, on recycling opportunities and solid waste reduction for our health system.”
As part of the Integrated Waste stream Solutions service, the NuHealth System has also implemented a Pharmaceutical Waste Compliance Service, with pharmaceutical waste characterized, segregated, and transported in compliance with EPA, DOT and other regulators. The disposal must also be documented. This process of keeping pharmaceuticals out of the water system can be complex and ultimately affects the nation’s water supply if not disposed of properly.
With many states passing legislation to address this issue and the New York Attorney General’s office announcing financial settlements with violators and expanding the scope outside watershed areas, NuHealth Systems is ahead of the compliance curve with the Stericycle Pharmaceutical Waste Compliance Service.
According to Arthur Gianelli, “By using these types of programs, the NuHealth System is driving environmental best practices, staying ahead of regulatory compliance and reducing costs. We intend to reinvest these savings in more healthcare programs that benefit our 3,800-member staff, our patients and the community.”
A third “green” initiative that NuHealth Systems is implementing is comprehensive recycling and waste diversion. Stericycle’s Integrated Waste Stream Solutions service manages all waste streams within the hospital, including regulated medical waste, solid and municipal waste, as well as recycled and other materials. “This program helps NuHealth Systems minimize the complexities of managing all of our waste streams,” said Larry Slatky, executive vice president of operation at the NuHealth System. “Along with a hospital’s regulatory risk and associated costs, maintaining state and federal compliance and focusing on green outcomes are just a few objectives that this program helps us meet.”
About the NuHealth System:
NuHealth is a Long Island health care organization delivering essential medical care and disease and lifestyle management to everyone at every stage of life. Also known as Nassau Health Care Corporation, NuHealth is a public benefit corporation managing the operations of Nassau University Medical Center, A. Holly Patterson Extended Care and a network of Family Health Centers that bring primary and specialty care out into the community. By emphasizing wellness, cultural sensitivity and collaborative efforts with the North Shore-LIJ Health System, NuHealth is working to make good care more affordable and easier to access. For more information about NuHealth or its Centers of Care, visit www.nuhealth.net.
About Stericycle:
Lake Forest, IL-based Stericycle (NASDAQ: SRCL) is a leader in healthcare-related services that protect people and reduce risk. With more than 440,000 customers worldwide, Stericycle has operations in North America, Europe, and Latin America. Visit www.stericycle.com.