Healthcare IT News - October 2008 - (Page 28)

28 Healthcare IT News ■ October 2008 hoSpItalS & IdNs he said: reduction in maintenance costs, reduction in administrative costs and higher system availability. Denver Health Joe Bajek has been focused on the clinical area, Pelot said. Next is the administrative arena, which represents two-thirds of the total PC workstation environment. Not far from Pelot at the University of Colorado Hospital, Joe Bajek is buying environmen- www.HealthcareITNews.com tally friendly equipment and also making the suppliers accountable for recycling the packaging. He’s stopped buying boxed packages of software. “We prefer to download it electronically,” he said. It may seem like a small step in saving the planet – and saving money – but a couple of cases of CDs every couple of months not only adds to the office Jeff Pelot clutter, but eventually to the pile at the landfill. “We’re also moving away from a taped media backup to disc media backup, he said. “It’s less a green initiative driver than a financial and speed one.” At the beginning of this year, Bajek ordered about a hundred Rubbermaid COWS – computers on wheels. Before placing the order, Bajek asked, “What will you do with the packaging? It stumped the supplier. In the end, the COWS were delivered on wooden pallets that were taken back to the warehouse. Bajek expects to accomplish something similar with the hospital’s upcoming purchase of 600800 computers. He doesn’t want to see 1,600 boxes – one for each computer and monitor – and 3,000 pieces of Styrofoam sitting around. “We’re as diligent about Styrofoam,” he said, asking the supplier to use air bags instead. Bajek is not sure where his hospital and Denver Health stand among other healthcare recyclers. “It hasn’t come up as a topic,” he said. But he plans to make it part of the discussion at the next meeting of the Colorado chapter of HIMSS – the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. Sutherland, at Practice Greenhealth, says healthcare, along with federal government purchasers, is more aware of green electronics than other sectors she works with, she says. “This sector, more than other sectors I have seen, is involved in communicating to suppliers their desire for less toxic components, take-back programs, upgradability, RoHS-compliance and other environmental features for noncomputer IT equipment.” RoHS is the European Restriction on Hazardous Substances. It requires that electronics sold in the European Union meet strict thresholds for heavy metals and certain flame retardants. While it does not apply in the United States, “responsible manufacturers have already begun to sell RoHS-compliant medical electronic devices in this country,” Sutherland says. ■ More at HealthcareITNews.com e Connect: GreeN 1008 call systems, Sutherland says. Broadlane, another hospital purContinued from page 1 chasing alliance, move to a virtual The EPEAT rating system includes 23 director of environmental pur- server to reduce energy costs. required criteria and 28 optional At Denver Health Hospital in chasing consulting at Practice performance criteria organized in six Greenhealth in Arlington, Va., a Colorado, Chief Technology Officer performance categories. member organization devoted to Jeff Pelot says the hospital is reduc➔ The reduction and elimination of ing power consumption by impleeco-friendly healthcare. environmentally sensitive materials. Kaiser and many other hospitals menting virtual machines from ➔ Materials selection and packaging. and hospital purchasing groups, SunSystems in the data centers. ➔ Designed for the end of usefulness and extending the life of a computer. “So far 125 servers have been such as Premier, adhere to EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental converted and we expect about ➔ Energy conservation. Assessment Tool) guidelines when that many more over the next year ➔ Disposal management. BMJ 1785 Point of Care Ad:Healthcare IT News Point of Care Ad 21/7/08 15:41 Page 1 purchasing desktop computers, as well,” he said. ➔ Corporate performance. The benefits are as advertised, notebooks, monitors – even nurse EpEat pERFoRmaNcE catEGoRIES greeN Get Answers Now. Introducing BMJ Point of Care, a new online clinical resource that delivers highly relevant diagnosis and treatment guidance at the immediate point of care. 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We want to know about it. send your comments to editor Bernie Monegain at bernie.monegain@medtechpublishing.com http://www.HealthcareITNews.com http://www.HealthcareITNews.com http://www.healthcareitnews.com/story.cms?id=10036 http://www.healthcareitnews.com/eConnect.cms?id=10093

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Healthcare IT News - October 2008 Contents Seattle's Slate Board 2.0 MGMA Newsmaker IT Battles Infection Beyond Adoption Excellence in Maine Carrot and Stick HP Layoffs Mobile Workstations Automating Offices

Healthcare IT News - October 2008

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