5 Easy Ways to Make Your Medical Practice More Eco-Friendly

Creating a greener medical practice isn’t just about helping the planet and reducing your carbon footprint—making strides toward the improvement of your practice’s sustainability can actually make good business sense as well. Many eco-centric practices can save money on the cost of supplies and products, can help medical offices avoid regulatory and compliance issues, and may expand your appeal to patients.

A green medical practice is the one, who thinks about the impact on their everyday process targeted on the planet, and strives to use sustainable materials, reduce overall consumption and maintain a safe, healthy environment.

These following steps can make a Medical Practice more Eco-Friendly

1. Swap Outdated Light Fixtures and Bulbs

If you have old light fixtures that use a lot of energy, then one of the easiest and most beneficial changes you can make in your Medical office is to swap them out. Even if you don’t swap the entire fixture, consider using compact fluorescent bulbs or LEDs. Additionally, if harsh energy-consuming overhead lights illuminate your waiting room, use lamps instead. You can facilitate a more relaxing waiting room ambiance while saving energy.

2. Change Your Office Cleaning Supplies

Many of the harsh cleaning supplies used in medical offices also contain toxins and chemicals that may not only be detrimental to the environment, but also to patients’ wellbeing. Think about instead using steam autoclaves for sterilization of medical equipment, and all-natural cleaning supplies.

3. Implement an Electronic Health Record System

The benefits of moving entirely to an Electronic Health Record System are extensive for medical practices. Not only can this help with compliance and auditing issues, but it can also ensure more stringent security of patient data and health information, and it’s, of course, more environmentally conscious than relying on paper and printing to maintain records.

4. Communicate with Patients Electronically Whenever Possible

In today’s digitally-driven world, many people prefer receiving correspondence, appointment reminders, and newsletters in an online format, so take advantage of technology in your medical practice. Rather than sending out traditional paper-based mail to patients, try to collect email addresses whenever possible and make this your primary form of contact. This can not only be a good way to reduce your use of resources, but it can also help you expand your marketing strategy, outreach the patients, and help indirectly to grow your practice.

5. Partner with a Medical Waste Disposal Company

Every type of medical facility needs to have stringent medical waste disposal practices in place. There are federal mandates in place from the EPA, which dictate how even a practice consisting of one doctor disposes of medical waste, and if you work with a company specializing in this area you ensure compliance and avoid fines, but also make the best health and environmental choices.

Simple Steps to a Greener Future

Medical professionals should represent the utmost in ethical standards, and this should extend to strides made towards greener workplace standards. There are simple, inexpensive ways physicians and practices can change the way they do business to make sustainability a priority, while still providing the highest level of care to patients.