The ‘Greening’ of Environmental Services:

Jersey Shore University Medical Center is ‘Earth & People-Friendly’

Jersey Shore University Medical Center (JSUMC) is the preeminent Trauma Center in the Region, serving Monmouth and Ocean counties. It is a major affiliate of the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and is designated a major “core” teaching hospital. A member of Meridian Health System, the 502-bed JSUMC is the system's largest facility. Featured on The Learning Channel's "Trauma: Life in the ER," JSUMC is the regional provider of cardiac surgery and interventional cardiology. This award winning hospital continues to provide patients and the community with the finest programs and services.

Unsurprisingly, this leader in healthcare is also at the cutting edge of Environmental Services. A Crothall customer since June 2001, initially contracting with the company for its EVS program, and then adding Patient Transport Services, JSUMC has been pleased with rising quality and an enhanced image. Now as the program matures, JSUMC and Crothall are collaborating on an innovative conversion to ‘green’ cleaning products, designed to be more environmentally-friendly, but just as effective as conventional products.

It is important for the area’s healthcare leader to demonstrate its commitment to the community. Explains Bob Adams, JSUMC’s Vice President of Support Services, who administers the Crothall programs, “Implementing the ‘Green Seal’ chemical line was a great initiative for our medical center. It really shows that we care about our patients and visitors, as well as the staff. As we move forward with one of the largest expansion and renovation projects in the history of New Jersey, it also helps to demonstrate our underlying commitment to the environment and our community. It sets us apart from other facilities.”

Working closely together, Bob Adams and David Rufo, Crothall’s Director of Environmental Services, thoroughly reviewed their current inventory of cleaning compounds and agents, comparing it to rigorous standards published by Green Seal (www.greenseal.org), an independent, non-profit organization that promotes earth-friendly products and services. Green Seal especially focuses on the impact that chemicals have on the waste stream, on water systems, and of course on the people who may come into contact with them. To earn its GS-37 certification, cleaning agents must be non-toxic to human, animal, and aquatic life, non-corrosive and non-irritating to eyes and skin, combustion-free, and contribute neither to indoor nor outdoor pollution. Some cleaning products used at JSUMC already met the standards, but several were discontinued and replaced by approved products that still met performance standards. David Rufo notes, “The conversion to green chemicals has been well received by my staff. The chemicals are less corrosive and safer for them to handle, and there has been no decrease in the effectiveness of the products. Everything has gone smoothly.”

The quick, seamless conversion was facilitated by JohnsonDiversey, one of the nation’s most respected manufacturers of floor, carpet, and cleaning products, and a leading provider to Crothall since 1998. According to Bob Scott, a JohnsonDiversey Area Vice President, the company had already made significant progress in developing and introducing a line of green products approved by Green Seal. “We had a team focused on ‘green’ for the last five years. In fact, when Green Seal began examining cleaning chemicals, they turned to us for input.”

The movement towards green chemicals has gained velocity in recent years, especially in the government and commercial sectors. In 1998, the Federal government issued a statement loosely defining environmentally preferred (green) chemicals as those that performed as efficiently as previous products, but with less impact on the user and the environment. Behind this was a growing concern about skin and odor sensitivities, biodegradability, and water toxicity of commonly used cleaning, floor, and carpet care products. Since then, the use of such products, especially those sanctioned by Green Seal, has been encouraged, even mandated in state and federal facilities, and a growing number of private businesses and institutions. Ironically, because of the focus on asepsis and infection control in hospitals, the health care industry has been slow to adopt a green agenda. That is now changing.

The group Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H²E) was formed by socially conscious health care institutions concerned with the greenagenda. While their primary focus has been on waste stream management, they are now shifting attentionto cleaning agents. Again, Johnson-Diversey has emerged as a leading innovator, earning the coveted H²E designation of “champion.”

At Jersey Shore University Medical Center, JohnsonDiversey assisted in the conversion. Crothall was already using the neutral, Green Seal approved floor cleaner ‘Stride,’ but switched to ‘Crew Bathroom Cleaner and Scale Remover,’ a non-ammoniated version of the popular ‘Glance’ glass cleaner, and ‘Alpha HP,’ a general purpose cleaner—all Green Seal approved. They also use JohnsonDiversey floor care products ’Aquaria’ and ’Freedom,’ which meet the Green Seal specifications. The finish is zinc free, and both the finish and stripper suppress odors.

So far, Green Seal has provided no standard specification on germicidal disinfectants, so it cannot officially issue certifications; however, Crothall continues to use the highly effective quaternary disinfectant ‘Virex 256,’ long a staple of EVS programs nationwide, and a formulation that Johnson-Diversey researchers are confident will meet whatever requirements Green Seal issues.

The formulation of the chemicals is just one aspect of an overall green strategy. While it is important to reduce, even eliminate, toxicity and odors, the handling and transport of these products are just as important. That’s why Crothall uses Johnson’s automatic J-Fill system for dispensing product. It prevents skin exposure and inhalation, while dispensing precise, recommended concentrations. In fact, nearly 95% of Crothall’s EVS programs have already implemented this important green feature.

As green chemicals gain currency in the healthcare industry, both hospital customers and Crothall will be studying additional measures to protect and enhance the environment—-the use of biodegradable plastic liners, micro-filtered vacuums, non-bleached paper products, and microfiber wiping cloths.

According to David Rufo, the switch to Green has been a success: “Using tent cards displaying the Green Seal logo, we inform patients and visitors that we use environmentally friendly chemicals. Many people have told us this makes them feel good. It has been a great initiative for both Crothall and Jersey Shore.”