Paper Example on Red Bag Waste: A Healthcare Hazard to Handle Safely

Introduction

Red bag waste refers to biomedical garbage produced by healthcare facilities and usually utilized interchangeably with biohazard rubbish. The red bag wastes get stored in red bags labeled specifically for keeping biohazardous substances waiting for appropriate disposals (Peregrin, 2015). Red bag trash includes diverse forms of healthcare wastes, such as human bodily fluids, IV tubing, tissue samples, lab cultures, and research materials, among others. Regulations on the handling of these red bag refuse vary between states and nations. However, they require proper handling. Red bag waste also has the name regulated medical waste (RMW) and can produce an infectious disease in humans.

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There exists the need to properly and effectively manage red bag waste so that people prevent health and environmental issues that the red bag waste possesses to the world, the ecosystem, and its inhabitants (Peregrin, 2015). Some of the suggested methods of minimizing the effects of red bag waste include segregating waste properly, reducing the packaging, recycling the SUD, making out a sought-after strategy, and encouraging industries that adhere to the laid out standards of managing red bag wastes (Sean, 2018). In this sustainability initiative, this paper looks at sustainable action at Inova Hospital in West Virginia regarding red bag waste reduction. The purpose of this paper the assessment of sustainable initiatives, especially the greening of red bag waste, to develop a sustainable world (Guetter et al., 2018).

Red Bag Waste Reduction Initiative

Reducing red bag waste requires that humankind define what medical waste entails, identify the problems associated with red bag waste, and describe the costs and benefits of medical waste. Furthermore, reducing red bag waste requires setting goals and developing an action plan to mitigate the effects of medical wastes. Besides, standardization, purchasing materials for waste management, and implementing the program enables the prevention of threats posed by unfortunate dumping of red bag wastes (Guetter et al., 2018). Furthermore, creating awareness, reviewing the action, and identifying and solving problems related to red bag wastes helps in the reduction of the impact of medical trash.

Waste treatment and adhering to hauling procedures (track progress) enhances the effective management of medical wastes. Environmentalists suggest 5Rs of waste reduction that involves refusing any substance that would ultimately become garbage, reducing the usage of materials that would eventually turn into the trash, and reusing elements that one already possesses (Guetter et al., 2018). Besides, repurposing the garbage to seek alternative uses and recycling materials enhances waste reduction and improves proper management of waste that ensures protection and conservation of our ecosystem for a sustainable initiative.

Essential People in the Success of the Initiative

Inova Hospital, as an organization, recognizes the role of the internal and external stakeholders when developing the sustainability strategy and initiatives. These groups give feedbacks that help in prioritizing the focus and the opportunities that will improve the organization (Guetter et al., 2018). For this, the red bag-waste reduction initiative project will include the regulated medical waste reduction taskforce, the group at the success point of the initiative. Another group involves the infection control committee that reviews what regulated medical waste means putting an educational protocol in place for both the new and existing staff, float, clinicians, and temporary staffers (Peregrin, 2015). Others include the director of support services, infection control, sustainability coordinator, administration, local communities, peer organizations, and government.

Partnerships Formed between Organizations to Foster Collaboration or Healthy Competition

In the achievement of the red bag-waste reduction initiative, Inova Hospital may need to form partnerships with other organizations to facilitate the process. One such collaboration may include Healthier Hospitals Partnership, where Inova collaborates with other hospitals to conduct a national campaign. The campaigns would make it easy to implement an approach that improves the environment and achieves a sustainable health sector (Peregrin, 2015). The formation of this partnership may involve Inova, at least ten health systems, and a substantial number of independent hospitals that continue to recycle tons of materials (Inova, 2012). Such institutions may include those that have saved some amount of money from the reprocessing the single-use medical device and have been able to divert a considerable amount of construction waste and demolitions from landfills. The partnership with these institutions will make it easy to decide on how to dispose of red bag wastes to reduce them.

Inova Hospital can form a partnership with suppliers, purchasers, contractors, and end-users to reduce much packaging for purchasers and end-users. The contractors can also find an alternative way of getting products from Inova than the use of red bags, which only form wastes (Inova, 2013). Research reveals that reconfiguration of the content of about 138 packs used mostly in surgery within the hospital gets disposed inappropriately, and some used to identify items that were not needed. Through this partnering, there will exist a reduction of the level of packs by more than 60% from 138 to only about 17 packages, which would not only reduce the red bag waste but also save over $250,000 that the hospital uses (Inova, 2013).

Another partnership that Inova Hospital can form involves experts and leaders considering that the hospital has an impact on achieving sustainable food strategy through produce and other edibles. Such a measure will require the identification of experts and leaders within the health system and across the entire industry (Inova, 2013). The partnership will allow the hospital to spend more on producing locally to support local farmers and communities while ensuring that nutrition assistance programs run for fresh and healthy foods. Domestic production reduces the number of packages, which lowers the use of red bags and, hence, reduces waste.

The improvement in technology remains an essential factor in the changes experienced in hospitals, and this has significantly enhanced sustainability in terms of waste reduction. Realizing the red bag reduction initiative entails Inova Hospital executing the EPIC electronic medical record system (Inova, 2013). However, to effectively carry out this approach requires an IT expert's services to harness information power to prevent waste and enhance efficiency. Partnering with the IT experts will help reduce or eliminate physical systems that influence the use of red bags, which facilitates the reduction of wastes.

Strategies to Engage Patients and their Friends or Family to Participate in the Initiative

Stakeholders' engagement remains one of the most fundamental things in achieving the desired responsibility initiative. Inova Hospital values every input from the stakeholders, whether they stay internal or external (Inova, 2012). Concerning sustainability strategy and initiatives, stakeholders' feedback remains a priority. Therefore, the best approach of engagement entails stakeholders getting involved in the initiative process regularly (Premier, 2013). The stakeholders include patients, employees, suppliers, associates, and local communities.

The interaction of stakeholders and the initiative processes will depend on the closeness to the interest in, and the relationship they have with the sustainable initiative. Another way of engagement involves the feedback collection process under the leadership of Inova Hospital. Besides facilitating feedback, the sustainability office will develop several communication tools, such as written and verbal, to capture sustainability feedback. An essential engagement strategy includes the collection of follow-up information by surveying every single patient once they leave the facility about their experience (Sean, 2017). Things that require capturing include cleanliness of the environment, food quality, and staff courtesy. Besides, the hospital must conduct and document a review of the feedback for improvement.

Community Leaders

Various community leaders can use power and influence to further the red bag reduction initiative. The community leaders encompass community volunteers, city and county officials, county commissioners, main street program participants, local business owners/managers, mayors, town council members, city managers, municipal planners, and local boards and commission members, among others (Sean, 2017). The community leaders interact with various people in the course of carrying out their assignments. Besides, business leaders can combine efforts to minimize the use of red bags when packaging considering that some find their way into the hospital.

Therefore, the reduced use of red bags in packaging will help in overcoming these wastes once used. Mayors, city and county officials, county commissioners, and city managers have the power to enforce the rules and regulations relating to red bag waste management in West Virginia. These leaders remain an essential factor in the implementation of the various rules about the preservation of the environment (Rich et al., 2018). The community volunteers and main street program participants will participate directly in the process of collecting the red bag wastes and educate the community of West Virginia and employees at Inova Hospital on the danger of inappropriate usage of red bags and disposing of them inappropriately.

Costs and Benefits with Red Bag Waste Reduction

The fees charged for the removal of regulated medical waste occur about five times more expensive than the removal of solid waste. Therefore, the hospital tends to reduce the generation rate to about 10% of the total waste by using the improved segregation, which serves as a benefit (Saber et al., 2018). Therefore, it means that if a hospital generates more than 10% of the regulated medical waste, there are high chances that a lot of money gets lost in waste disposal (Inova, 2013). Inova Hospital in West Virginia has its commitment to local, internal, and global communities to solve sustainability issues.

Healthcare centers treat minor conditions such as colds, sprains, and slight blood injuries, hence having more clients visiting such facilities than the emergency rooms (ER). Such healthcare facilities require suitable and sustainable waste management that comprises of a reduction in the usage of red bag waste disposal (Saber et al., 2018). Improper waste disposal by healthcare facilities may result in legal and health issues, which directly or indirectly affects stakeholders, such as patients, healthcare workers, and society in large. There exist appropriate sets to follow when dealing with red bag waste associated with the red bag waste can save an organization undertaking the provision of healthcare services and goods capital. The fact that the company and the patient will not incur expenses resulting from legal suits, illnesses, and public outcry means saving money for other development (MCF Environmental Services, 2018). Hospitals and health facilities incur huge costs from waste disposal across the globe.

Besides, there exist a risk of infection, health, and environmental concerns from improper waste disposals, According to (American Hospital Association, 2015) a hospital spends on an average $72 million a year on supply functions and 1/3 of that in operating...