Last September we saw the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality issue a primer to hospitals advocating for the use of more reprocessed devices. In May, the U.S. National Academy of Medicine’s Collaborative on Decarbonizing the U.S. Health Sector called for optimizing more reprocessing in accordance with U.S. FDA requirements.

An increasing body of research shows that the use of reprocessed devices reduces greenhouse gas emissions, costs, and waste, while strengthening fragile healthcare supply chains. Given the overwhelming majority of greenhouse gas emissions from the health sector come from the supply chain, and that FDA and other federal-level regulatory authorities have strong oversight in place to ensure standards are met, increasing their use is one of the easiest ways hospitals can have an immediate impact on efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

News stories about policies that advance the use of reprocessing have never been stronger. Since March 1, at least 25 articles advocating for more reprocessed devices have appeared.

Policies recognizing the incredible benefits of reprocessed single-use devices do not happen without dedication and hard work. We want to thank our friends at Healthcare Without Harm, particularly Antonia Herzog and Keith Edgerton. Researchers who have taken a keen interest in understanding reprocessing, including Jodi Sherman at Yale University, Hardeep Singh from Baylor College of Medicine, and Cassie Theil from NYU. Regulatory and communications staff from our members and from our organization have worked doggedly to secure these wins. Thank you all.

I’ve never been more excited for the future of the reprocessing industry. Thanks for reading, and be sure to follow us on LinkedIn to get more frequent updates

Best Wishes,

Dan Vukelich, Esq., CAE
President & CEO
Association of Medical Device Reprocessors
www.amdr.org 

Fierce Healthcare: ‘Podnosis’: How reprocessing can reduce waste, and choice architecture and incentive design
July 19, 2023
This week on “Podnosis,” we talk with Daniel Vukelich, the president at the Association of Medical Device Reprocessors, about how reprocessing can reduce waste. We also talk with Dr. Amol Navathe, Co-Director of the Healthcare Transformation Institute about the role of choice architecture in value-based care.

Orillia Matters: Ontario Medical Association calls for action on climate change
July 14, 2023
Ontario hospitals, health professionals and the medical community need to be doing much more to fight climate change. That was one of the key concerns raised during an online news conference with the Ontario Medical Association. Dr. David Ohrling, chief of anesthesiology at Collingwood General and Marine Hospital, said climate change is indeed an issue in the Canadian health-care system. “Our health-care system in Canada, as mentioned, is responsible for approximately five per cent of our total greenhouse gas emissions, which is more than the airline industry. We’re contributing to the climate crisis,” said Ohrling.

Politico: Accelerating Action to Decarbonize Healthcare in the U.S.
July 12, 2023
The climate crisis has arguably become the largest health crisis of our time. Recognizing this, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded in 2022 that in order to avoid catastrophic health impacts, the world must limit temperature rise to 1.5°C. The healthcare sector plays a vital role in managing the growing burden of disease and health complications from climate change. Yet paradoxically, in its effort to keep people healthy, the sector is a significant contributor to the climate crisis, emitting nearly 5% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions globally — a percentage that is greater than the aviation sector. In the U.S., that share is even higher, totaling 8.5% of the country’s emissions. AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot, together with Dr. Victor Dzau, president of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), and POLITICO Focus, recently hosted a roundtable with healthcare leaders, policymakers, academia and sustainability experts to identify opportunities to scale public-private action to decarbonize the health sector. Soriot underscored the power of partnership to catalyze new approaches to the world’s biggest challenges: “As a company, we are in innovation, we are in science. We know that innovations don’t come from one or two people. You collaborate, and that’s the only way you arrive at new ideas.”

MedTech Dive: EU MDR costs could cause device shortages for children, medical groups warn
June 29, 2023
New medical device regulations in Europe could result in a shortage of medical devices for children, the European Academy of Paediatrics and more than 20 other medical associations wrote in a June 27 letter to European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides. Reports available to clinicians indicate a “high likelihood of losing significant numbers of essential medical devices,” the groups wrote. “This will result in an avoidable risk of death and serious injury, not as a consequence of unsafe medical devices, but as a consequence of disappearance of devices due to unforeseen effects of the EU MDR.” The cost of certification by notified bodies poses a barrier to manufacturers of devices that cater to small groups of patients, such as children or people with rare diseases, and could result in manufacturers withdrawing devices sold in smaller numbers from the EU market, they wrote.

National Academy of Medicine: Carbon Accounting 101
June 26, 2023
The NAM Climate Collaborative hosted three Carbon Clinics designed to teach carbon accounting to health care delivery organizations. The pre-recorded webinar series covers the basics of carbon accounting while adhering to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, including what data to collect, how to measure and report data, and real-world examples. Hospitals and health systems can browse the Carbon Clinics and related resources below for steps to reduce their carbon footprint. This information is also relevant to organizations outside the health sector interested in learning more about the basics of carbon accounting.

U.S. Food & Drug Administration: Non-sterile, Single-use Pneumatic Tourniquet Cuffs Conservation Strategies – Letter to Health Care Providers
June 5, 2023
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is aware of health care facilities and providers experiencing localized supply constraints of non-sterile, single-use pneumatic tourniquet cuffs in the United States. These devices are mainly used in elective limb surgeries and in emergency and trauma settings. During interruption in the supply of these devices, the FDA is recommending health care facilities and health care providers implement conservation strategies such as using alternative devices and reusing existing devices after appropriate sterilization/disinfection procedures have been appropriately followed. Recommendations include encouraging the use of appropriate third-party facilities to reprocess single-use devices for reuse, especially among health care providers or health care settings that may lack the capabilities to reprocess medical devices labeled for single use.

Environmental Health News: Reimagining healthcare to reduce pollution, tackle climate change and center justice
June 1, 2023
Around 650 health care professionals from around the world gathered in Pittsburgh last week to strategize about ways to reduce waste and air pollution, disinvest from fossil fuels, better integrate communities, drive down the industry’s climate-warming emissions and hear success stories from people on the front lines of this work. “[This] is not just a conference — we’re intentionally building a movement,” said Gary Cohen, president and co-founder of Health Care Without Harm, the organization that hosts the CleanMed conference, during his opening remarks. “This is the work of our lifetime. Are we ready to get going?”

Loughborough University: Creating a safe circular economy for small medical devices
June 1, 2023
A collaboration between Loughborough University and the University of Leeds – is developing a circular economy (CE) approach to reducing the staggering amount of small medical device (SMD) waste generated each year. Reprocessing [medical device] could deliver potential savings of around 50%, significantly reducing NHS costs. ReMed is, therefore, exploring several avenues to drive the move to the circular use of resources and materials including novel design and material specifications as well as safe and sustainable reprocessing technologies.

Medical Device + Diagnostic Industry: The Effect of Climate Change on Medical Device Manufacturing
May 31, 2023
Climate change is resulting in an increase in climate-related medical devices, supply chain disruptions, shorter device lifespans, and is impacting sterilization processes. Climate change remains a key concern as the earth warms and environmental conditions become more extreme. Specifically, climate change can have indirect effects on the medical device industry and manufacturing, from an increase in climate related illness and supply chain disruptions to device lifespan shortages and impact on sterilization processes.

Hospital Management: NAM recommends hospitals to use reprocessed medical devices
May 23, 2023
The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) has recommended the use of reprocessed medical devices as a strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in US health systems. Joining the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), NAM has become the second national-level organisation advocating for reprocessing to help combat climate change. Association of Medical Device Reprocessors president and CEO Daniel Vukelich said: “The NAM recommendation to reprocess more single-use medical devices is another sign that researchers and regulators are recognizing that reprocessing represents a ‘low hanging fruit’ solution for slashing waste, cost, and greenhouse gas emissions from the health sector. “With hospitals generating more greenhouse gas emissions than the entire aviation sector, we have to embrace solutions like reprocessing that are proven and available immediately.”

National Academy of Medicine: Key Actions to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions by U.S. Hospitals and Health Systems
May 20, 2023
Compared to other health care systems globally, the U.S. is among the top emitters of carbon, and is responsible for 25% of global health sector emissions, which is the greatest proportion among all global health sectors. To address these impacts, the NAM Climate Collaborative Health Care Delivery Working Group developed a shortlist of key actions for hospitals and health systems to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. [This page recommends actions that] could be utilized by any hospitals or health systems starting their journey to reach decarbonization goals. Among other suggestions, the NAM advocates reprocessing single-use medical devices. Click here to read AMDR’s news release.

Fierce Healthcare: A ‘reckoning’ in healthcare: The climate crisis and what the industry can do about it
May 12, 2023
Last year, the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services launched a health sector climate pledge, committing to climate resilience and reducing emissions. Organizations that join volunteer to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050. So far, 116 organizations have signed on, including more than 15% of U.S. hospitals. Fierce Healthcare talked with Gary Cohen, president and co-founder of Health Care Without Harm, about the way healthcare is addressing its role in climate change.

Fierce Healthcare: ‘Podnosis’ Podcast: Healthcare’s relationship to climate change
May 3, 2023
This week on “Podnosis,” you’ll hear from Gary Cohen, the president and co-founder of Health Care Without Harm, an environmental advocacy group. He talked with Fierce’s Anastassia Gliadkovskaya about the way healthcare is addressing its role in climate change and how this became a mature movement. Also under discussion is environmental justice. Gliadkovskaya also talks with Aparna Bole, who is a senior consultant at the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity. They talk about why healthcare organizations must go beyond addressing their direct emissions to truly improve health equity, and the requirements and incentives that can help get everyone there.

FIERCE Healthcare: Facing industry pushback, Joint Commission plans to introduce proposed sustainability measures as optional
April 27, 2023
After receiving industry feedback on new proposed standards on sustainability, the Joint Commission currently plans to roll them out as optional, Fierce Healthcare has learned. The accreditation standards, aimed at those participating in the hospital and critical access hospital accreditation programs, would require hospitals to designate a person responsible for overseeing the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, measure specific data, develop goals and action plans to reduce those emissions and annually track progress.

Healthcare NOW Radio: Trending NOW: Lars Thording, VP of Marketing and Public Affairs at Innovative Health
July 15, 2023
Host Jared Johnson and guest Lars Thording, VP of Marketing and Public Affairs at Innovative Health as they discuss the opportunities to reduce unsustainable costs and adverse effects on the environment by repurposing medical devices.

Med Device Online: Sustainable Technologies: Reprocessing Medical Devices To Reduce Healthcare’s Carbon Footprint And Drive Cost Savings
May 10, 2023
U.S. hospitals are facing growing pressure to reduce their environmental impact, even as they deal with rising costs and decreasing revenue. Reprocessing single-use medical devices can be a valuable tool, creating a more circular economy, extending the life of medical devices and reducing both product cost and waste. “The increased focus on reducing healthcare’s carbon footprint has dramatically increased demand for the services of Sustainable Technologies™, and led us to a significant expansion of its facility near Tampa, Florida, completed last year,” said Pete Bennett, senior vice president of Global Logistics. Sustainable Technologies™ is a leading provider of single-use device (SUD) collections, reprocessing and recycling services in the U.S. As reported in Cardinal Health’s most recent ESG Report, the Sustainable Technologies™ business, which serves more than 2,000 U.S. hospitals and ambulatory service centers, collected 18.3 million SUDs in fiscal 2022 alone, diverting more than 5.6 million pounds of waste from landfills.

African Urology: Is there an ethical imperative to reprocess single-use medical devices?
May 30, 2023
Is reusing single-use medical devices (SUDs) ethical? This question takes on urgency in a healthcare world facing ever-greater economic pressures and manifest environmental imperatives. What are the ethics, evidence, and debates in this arena? How should urological surgeons in Africa engage with the issue?

inergency: The extent to which circular economy principles have been applied in the design of medical devices for low-resource settings in Sub-Saharan Africa. A systematic review
April 24, 2023
[This study aims] to answer the following research question: to what extent have [circular economy (CE)] principles been applied in the design of medical devices specifically for use in [low-resource settings (LRS)] in [South-Saharan Africa (SSA)]? The answer to this question will contribute to literature on CE in Africa by showing the extent to which CE principles have been incorporated in the domain of medical device design for LRS in SSA. Similarly, this research contributes to the CE discourse in Africa by showing the gaps that need to be addressed when designing future medical devices for LRS in SSA while considering sustainability.

British Journal of Surgery: Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries
April 20, 2023
Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres.

The Royal Society of Medicine Journals: The carbon footprint of products used in five common surgical operations: identifying contributing products and processes
April 13, 2023
Mitigating carbon footprint of products used in resource-intensive areas such as surgical operating rooms will be important in achieving net zero carbon healthcare. The aim of this study was to evaluate the carbon footprint of products used within five common operations, and to identify the biggest contributors (hotspots). [We conclude that change] in practice and policy should be targeted towards those products making greatest contribution, and should include reducing single-use items and switching to reusables, alongside optimising processes for decontamination and waste disposal, modelled to reduce carbon footprint of these operations by 23%–42%.

The International Journal of Health Planning and Management: An urgent call for the environmental sustainability of health systems: A ‘sextuple aim’ to care for patients, costs, providers, population equity and the planet
February 3, 2023
Health systems have a duty to protect the health and well-being of individuals and populations. Yet, healthcare contributes about 4.6% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Health systems need to question and improve established practices, assume strong environmental leadership, and aim for ambitious, sometimes radical, actions in favour of the climate. In this paper, we interrogate the suitability and feasibility of integrating the aim of ‘environmental sustainability’ to form the ‘Sextuple Aim.’ Environmental sustainability may be in tension with, but also a potential lever to meet the other cardinal aims: (1) quality and experience of patient care; (2) population health; (3) quality of work and satisfaction of healthcare providers; (4) equity and inclusion; and (5) cost reduction. We propose policy and practical avenues to help move towards the Sextuple Aim.

U.S. hospitals generate about 6M tons of waste annually, mainly due to reliance on SUDs. Learn how #reprocessing gives the health sector a powerful new tool to create a more sustainable #circulareconomy while also lowering the #ghgemissions that make people sicker on the pathway toward achieving #netzero goals and saving healthcare costs.

LinkedIn: What Others Say About Reprocessing
July 17, 2023
A growing number of research institutions and regulatory bodies around the globe share a common goal: Finding ways to reduce the #healthcare sector’s reliance on disposable products and replacing them with reprocessed “single-use” #medicaldevices (SUDs) that advance environmental sustainability, starting now.

With 140+ peer-reviewed articles and policy statements now supporting reprocessing, industry leaders are embracing this immediate, simple solution to create a #netzero future built on a greener #circulareconomy. See “What Others Say About Reprocessing” and learn how this revolutionary innovation slashes rising #ghgemissions, strengthens the supply chain, and cuts spiraling costs for #hospitals.

LinkedIn: Webinar – Remanufacturing Sectors: Medical Devices
July 13, 2023
AMDR President Daniel J. Vukelich, Esq., CAE, looks forward to serving as a panelist, answering questions, and presenting on how the expansion of medical device reprocessing and remanufacturing helps #hospitals strengthen the medical supply chain, fight climate change by slashing their #carbonfootprint, and save critical resources. Join “Remanufacturing Sectors: Medical Devices,” the Remanufacturing Industries Council (RIC)‘s next webinar, on Wednesday (7/19) at 10 a.m. EDT.

If you want to learn why the time is now for leaders in government, medicine, and beyond to embrace easy, immediate, sustainable solutions that protect the health of the public and the planet, this interactive forum is for you. Join us.

LinkedIn: Global Reprocessing Regulations
July 10, 2023
Over 10,500 #hospitals and surgical centers worldwide reprocessed 33M+ “single-use” #medicaldevices (SUD) in 2021, reducing the health system’s #CarbonFootprint and saving millions in healthcare costs during increasing financial strain.

Discover how this innovation gives governments an immediate way to advance #sustainability in #healthcare while creating a more resilient medical supply chain. Get your free copy of AMDR’s first-of-its-kind report, “Global Regulatory Standards,” that includes all rules, standards, and guidance governing SUD reprocessing to help regulators create safe, effective processes that make it easier for more #hospitals to reduce waste.

LinkedIn: Eco-audit of conventional heart surgery procedures
July 7, 2023
Disposable #medicaldevices for certain cardiac procedures fuel 86% of carbon emissions, but the simple solution of “single-use” medical device reprocessing can cut toxic waste in the medical supply chain starting now.

Check out the European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery’s eco-audit to learn how to #GoGreen, help #hospitals build a more sustainable #circulareconomy, and fight climate change.

LinkedIn: Drive to Use More Reprocessed “Single-Use” Medical Devices Takes Center Stage at CleanMed23
July 5, 2023
AMDR President Daniel J. Vukelich, Esq., CAE, shared some of the latest studies showing how medical device reprocessing cuts #ghgemissions and updated attendees on the dramatic growth of reprocessing globally during a recent presentation at #CleanMed23, organized by Health Care Without Harm and Practice Greenhealth.

See how the conference, held in Pittsburgh May 23-25, demonstrated rapidly increasing support for “single-use” medical device (SUD) reprocessing among hospital leaders and the public health sector. Speakers from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the University of California (Center for Climate, Health and Equity), the Womack Army Medical Center, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center all explored a common theme: How to overcome barriers to expanding SUD reprocessing at hospitals to help them cut toxic emissions, 80% of which come from the medical supply chain.

Read Dan’s new article to learn about the tremendous progress being made to accelerate this sustainable #circulareconomy innovation, and how the health sector can be part of the solution by using more reprocessed devices now.

LinkedIn: Non-sterile, Single-use Pneumatic Tourniquet Cuffs Conservation Strategies – Letter to Health Care Providers
June 19, 2023
The FDA recently urged U.S. healthcare facilities and providers to reprocess “single-use” medical devices (SUDs), such as non-sterile, single-use pneumatic tourniquet cuffs, to help ease critical shortages in the supply chain.

Read about the FDA’s groundbreaking Letter to Health Care Providers and learn why it’s joining the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the National Academy of Medicine, and NHS in supporting the expansion of this simple, environmentally friendly innovation that’s helping to build a more resilient #circulareconomy in healthcare.

LinkedIn: Dan Vukelich – Activist of the Year!
June 15, 2023
We are honored to announce that Daniel J. Vukelich, Esq., CAE, AMDR President, won Activist of the Year today at the 3rd Annual Reuse Awards #TheReusies, presented by Upstream from #Circularity23! THANK YOU to everyone who voted for Dan and our growing network of allies and supporters in government, healthcare, and beyond, whose outstanding contributions to the reuse movement helped make this incredible moment possible.

Together, we have made game-changing progress that is fundamentally transforming the future of healthcare delivery through growing acceptance of “single-use” medical device (SUD) reprocessing and other simple, sustainable solutions. Thanks to the leadership of advocates like Dan, 33M reprocessed SUDs were sold in 2021 alone to over 10,500 #hospitals worldwide — and this is just the beginning. As we continue our collective call for the accelerated expansion of SUD reprocessing, we will achieve more milestones to create a greener, net-zero #circulareconomy in healthcare and beyond.

Join us in congratulating Dan and all those who were recognized at #TheReusies! You inspire us, and we’re excited to see what we will accomplish next for #sustainablehealthcare.

LinkedIn: Growing the Circular Economy in Device Design and Manufacturing Requires Policy, Thinking Shifts
June 12, 2023
With 33M+ reprocessed single-use #medicaldevices (SUDs) at 10,500+ #hospitals worldwide, learn what steps health sector leaders can take to make throwaways go away through a more sustainable #circulareconomy.

Discover how expanding SUD reprocessing now will help providers cut the #ghgemissions that make people and the planet sicker, reduce soaring expenses, and strengthen the medical supply chain during critical shortages. Read AMDR President & CEO Daniel J. Vukelich’s column in Medical Product Outsourcing.

LinkedIn: CleanMed 2023
June 5, 2023
This week at CleanMed Pittsburgh 2023, AMDR President and CEO Daniel J. Vukelich presented on how replacing “single-use” medical devices (SUDs) with reusable ones helps #hospitals strengthen the supply chain, reduce their #carbonfootprint, and save critical resources. Joined by speakers Dr. Preeti Mehrotra of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Dr. Alexandra Melnyk of UPMC Magee-Women’s Hospital, these experts shared the advantages of turning to reusable devices over SUDs while offering strategies to engage healthcare stakeholders and drive expansion of greener practices.

Check out “Reducing plastics part 1: Addressing infection prevention perceptions” concurrent session for more.

Thank you Practice Greenhealth and Health Care Without Harm for presenting this outstanding national forum for health sector leaders to meet, learn, and advance solutions for a more sustainable, resilient future.

LinkedIn: National Academy of Medicine Recommends Reprocessing
June 1, 2023
The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) to hospitals: Embracing FDA-regulated reprocessed “single-use” medical devices is one of the most important actions you can take today to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Read the NAM’s recent “Key Findings” report to learn more.

LinkedIn: 1, 2, 3 Questions – Dan Vukelich
May 22, 2023
Recent life cycle assessments show that remanufactured “single-use” #medicaldevices slash #ghgemissions by 50% and save #hospitals up to 40% in costs. Learn how this #sustainablepractice can help shrink healthcare’s #carbonfootprint, cut waste, and free up critical funds and resources in this time of financial strain.

Check out FHP MCO’s interview with AMDR President and CEO Daniel J. Vukelich.

LinkedIn: 2021 Annual AMDR Member Survey Results
May 8, 2023
Over 20M pounds of medical waste was diverted from U.S. landfills in 2021 thanks to “single-use” medical device reprocessing of nearly 33M regulated devices that were sold to more than 9,500 hospitals and surgical centers in the U.S.

Read the 2021 Annual AMDR Member Survey Results report to see how reprocessing gives healthcare leaders a simple way to advance #netzero goals and save millions through a #circulareconomy model.

LinkedIn: UK Department of Health and Social Care – Medical technology strategy
May 1, 2023
More hospitals and #publichealth leaders are turning to #sustainable innovations like “single-use” medical device reprocessing to cut #ghgemissions and strengthen the global supply chain. Check out the UK Department of Health and Social Care’s recent Medical Technology Strategy to learn more.

“Moving towards devices that are designed to be decontaminated and reused, or that can be remanufactured, would help to reduce our reliance on both raw material availability and the capacity of production and logistics. To achieve long-term resilience in supply, the medtech industry increasingly needs to design products in a way that reduces the demand on virgin materials, makes better use of recycled materials and ultimately increases the extent to which the supply of medtech can shift to support significantly higher levels of reuse, remanufacture and materials recovery.”

LinkedIn: Two-thirds of NHS operations’ carbon footprint from single-use items – study
April 24, 2023
New, groundbreaking research in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine finds that single-use surgical items comprise 68% of the #carbonfootprint of the five most common NHS operations. Replacing them with reusable devices could help cut the #ghgemissions of medical products by a third, giving the health sector a huge boost on the path toward creating a #netzero carbon future, the study’s lead researcher, Dr. Chantelle Rizan of Brighton and Sussex Medical School, said.

This study is the first of its kind to analyze the carbon footprint of surgical items used in common operations.

“Eliminating single-use items or switching to reusables where feasible, alongside optimising associated decontamination processes and waste segregation and recycling, could reduce product carbon footprint by one-third,” said Dr. Rizan. “This model was based on reusable alternatives already on the market, and this figure may be surpassed where industry rises to the challenge of sustainable surgical product innovation.”