I have spent a decade dedicated to healthcare environmental
sustainability in Maryland. For a large part of that time, I worked with Barb
Sattler and Louise Mitchell, both visionaries in the field. While they are not
part of MD H2E as we wind down the initiative, their/our collective legacy
remains as the bedrock of MD H2E’s success.
Ten years ago, we were knocking, no banging, on doors to get
hospitals to listen to our messages. First – stop burning mercury, plastics,
and other potential toxic material in old, decaying, inefficient incinerators;
its bad for patients, bad for staff and bad for community members. Second –
stop using toxic pesticides in places where vulnerable populations are trying
to heal. Third – feed patients and staff healthy, local, sustainable food. And
guess what? They listened! Not all at once and not everyone on all fronts, but
as a collective, hospitals listened, asked questions of us and of each other,
and they changed practice.
My first presentation for MD H2E was a ten step process for
recycling batteries. It was a pragmatic approach to decreasing waste. Fast
forward ten years, I am preparing a presentation on stormwater management for
health care providers. In between my first and most likely last presentations,
MD H2E staff have presented on so many environmental and sustainability topics
that we found significant and important (e.g., hazardous pharmaceuticals,
climate change, regulatory compliance). We were able to be creative and
authentic in our scope of work for one main reason: our generous and faithful
funders believed in us. And to them, I owe my gratitude – for believing
in the efforts of a small but mighty group that transformed a culture in
Maryland and set an example for the country.
