AHRMM eLearning Course: Environmental Sustainability 101: The Health Care Supply Chain Imperative

CECs: 1.5

 

Environmental sustainability is an increasingly important aspect of the supply chain professional role. Today, health care accounts for nearly 20% of the US Gross Domestic Product. Billions of dollars of goods are manufactured, delivered, used, and burned or buried in the earth, polluting soil, water and air year after year. We all see the volume of materials and waste that moves through our facilities. Patients see it too and there is concern.

 

In this self-paced course, we will take a deep dive into the leading strategic practices recommended to begin or continue sustainability efforts within your own supply chain aligning with your organization’s readiness and goals. Learners will examine their own organization’s sustainability level, or maturity, and identify issues and opportunities for program development as well as how supply chain can collaborate with current efforts, leading to wholistic change throughout the health care field.

 

We will look at the key players, leadership and resources needed and acquire discussion points for conversations with suppliers. Users will review product attributes that should be questioned along with negotiation and contracting strategies to help understand suppliers’ commitments to improving their efforts.

 

Learn how measurement is necessary to show how your efforts lead to improved impacts on the surrounding community, further leading to continued support and wholistic change throughout the health care field.

 

As we have a new understanding of the imperative for proactive improvements in supply chain sustainability efforts, we will integrate environmental sustainability impacts with cost, quality and outcomes (CQO) leading practices when sourcing a particular product or service. This ongoing scrutiny will allow supply chain to significantly contribute to the reduction of carbon emissions, leading to the improved health of patients, staff and the community at large. 

 

Attendee Recommendations
1) New employees for understanding the importance of current efforts and their own contributions, 2) those involved or are considering involvement in sustainability efforts across the organization, including, providers, suppliers, GPOs, and consultants to identify opportunities and learn strategies for implementation.

 

By completing the Environmental Sustainability 101: The Health Care Supply Chain Imperative eLearning course offered by AHRMM participants may earn up to 1.5 AHRMM Continuing Education Credits (CECs) toward recertification of the Certified Materials and Resource Professional (CMRP) and AHRMM Fellow designations, as well as up to 1.5 ACHE Qualified Education Hours toward initial certification or recertification of the Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) designation. 

 

Special thanks to Laura Faye Vernon, Walt Vernon, Karen Conway, and Healthcare without Harm for their invaluable input to this course.