Hospital Device Remanufacture Lowers Cost, Waste
Ascent Healthcare Solutions announced on Jan. 12 that its hospital partners eliminated 2,150 tons from local landfills and realized a record $138,142,000 in supply cost and waste savings in 2008 related to remanufacturing/reprocessing of medical devices.
Many of these hospitals have adopted remanufacturing and reprocessing of medical devices as the cornerstone of their sustainability initiatives because it is a sensible way to have a direct impact on cost savings and environmental stewardship.
The nation's largest hospitals are leveraging remanufacturing and reprocessing programs as key components of their sustainability initiatives.
J. Michael Jones, director of Clinical Education and Sustainability, Healthtrust Purchasing Group, stated, "Providers are waking up to the fact that healthcare delivery is one of the largest contributors of waste in the U.S. There are successful strategies available which make it possible for hospitals to be both patient care-focused and responsible stewards of our environment. Among these, remanufacturing and reprocessing stand out as remarkably impactful, representing a new model for sustainability in healthcare."
Ascent's remanufacturing/reprocessing programs cover 86 FDA 510(k) cleared medical device products, with more currently in development.