Media Advisory

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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Top Environmental Leaders in Health Care Address Responsible Medical Waste Management

WHAT: Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E) will hold a special two-day summit

addressing waste management practices and recognizing the nation’s top hospitals for

environmental practices.

WHEN: May 14-15, 2007

WHERE: Marriott Minneapolis City Center Hotel, Minneapolis, MN

WEBSITE: www.h2e-online.com

The issue of proper waste management in the health care sector takes center stage as

California officials investigate how untreated medical waste found its way to a local landfill

seven times over a two-week period.

Health care leaders, advocacy organizations, and government administrators will gather on

May 14-15, 2007 in Minneapolis at the 2007 H2E Environmental Excellence Summit to learn

from waste management experts and honor recipients of the H2E Environmental Excellence

Awards. These awards include the nation’s most prestigious marks of innovation in

environmentally responsible health care and waste management.

Responsible management of regulated medical waste, as well as pharmaceutical and other

hazardous wastes, is a top concern for health care managers. All Environmental Leadership

Award winners are recycling at least 25 percent of their solid waste and have eliminated

mercury from their facilities. According to a 2005 American Hospital Association survey,

97.3 percent of hospital respondents across the country are aware of the problem with

mercury and have taken steps to address the issue.

The event will also featured a day-long Pharmaceutical Waste Management Workshop that

will help health care institutions properly identify, reduce, and handle pharmaceutical waste,

comply with the law, and reduce environmental and health impacts.

In total, the conference will examine the environmental and waste management

accomplishments of more than 140 health care facilities, partner organizations, and others.

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