MUNDELEIN, Ill., July 18, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Medline Industries, Inc., the nation's largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of medical and surgical products, today announced the launch of its new greensmart™ program, a unique hospital-supplier partnership designed to help health care facilities around the country reduce costs, improve patient care and build healthier communities.
"A growing company like Medline can have an enormous impact on the environment, on the health of our communities and on the pocketbooks of our customers," said Andy Mills, president of Medline. "We are committed to providing health care facilities with environmentally friendly products and supplies, while at the same time providing cost-effective resources in these competitive times. The greensmart program is eco-friendly and economical."
Medline's greensmart program is a strategic four-pronged program, including helping health care facilities measure the baseline of their environmental impact; identifying opportunities for environmental cost savings; monitoring and reporting on progress; and garnering marketing assistance and education. The program is designed to help facilities quantify and report ongoing sustainability initiatives from an environmental and financial point of view.
Through the program, customers can measure real savings by calculating:
- Pounds of waste diverted from a landfill
- Energy saved calculated in kilowatt hours or therms
- Pounds of carbon dioxide reduced
- Gallons of water or chemicals saved
- Cost savings from reduced electricity usage, reduced trash and regulated medical waste disposal.
"Medline has taken the lead on improving patient care through their strong commitment to sustainability in health care," said Sister Mary Ellen Leciejewski, O.P., ecology program coordinator at Dignity Health, San Francisco, Calif. "Through the greensmart program, Medline provides environmentally friendly products, services and consultation to help hospitals in their efforts to reduce waste and save energy. These much needed resources aim to protect and improve the environment and, ultimately, public health."
Medline began its company-wide sustainability initiative nearly a decade ago by working to conserve energy and dramatically lower greenhouse emissions within its own facilities. Since then, the company has worked to green its entire operation from sourcing, manufacturing and packaging through distribution, use and disposal. The company recently received ISO 14001 certification, a global third-party environmental standard recognizing Medline's ongoing commitment to sustainability and environmentally friendly business practices at all levels of its company. The ISO 14001 standard is designed to address the delicate balance between maintaining profitability and reducing environmental impact. Only those organizations with excellent environmental management systems qualify for this globally recognized standard.
"Sustainability in health care is a growing trend driven by opportunities for cost savings and increased recognition of the link between environmental issues and human health," Mills added. "However, many health care facilities have very limited human and financial resources to accomplish their sustainability goals. Through the greensmart program, Medline can fill this void in the industry and assist customers with tools and resources required to track, monitor and report on environmental savings."
In recent months, Medline has been presented with various awards for its commitment to environmental stewardship, including the Novation Environmental Excellence Leadership Award for providing Novation's more than 65,000 members and affiliates of VHA Inc., UHC and Provista, a best-in-class environmental program, and the 2012 Practice Greenhealth Champion for Change Award for outstanding contributions to environmentally responsible health care.
"Medline's greensmart program is a great tool for hospitals to get started on their sustainability journey," said Laura Wenger, RN and executive director of Practice Greenhealth. "Medline is truly demonstrating leadership for the future of health care."
About Medline
As the nation's largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of health care products, Medline manufactures and distributes more than 125,000 products to hospitals, extended care facilities, surgery centers, physician offices and home care dealers. Headquartered in Mundelein, Ill., Medline has more than 1,100 dedicated sales representatives to support its broad product line and cost management services.
Over the past five years, Medline has become the fastest-growing distributor of medical and surgical supplies in the United States, serving as the primary distributor to more than 450 major hospitals and healthcare systems. As a leading distributor, Medline offers a comprehensive array of consulting and management services encompassing supply chain and logistics, utilization and standardization, business tools and enhanced reporting capabilities. For more information on Medline, visit www.medline.com.
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