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Organizational Partners: Develop Your Program
Ten Steps to Success as an H2E Partner
 STEP 1: UNDERSTAND THE H2E PARTNERS PROGRAM
STEP 2: SUBSCRIBE TO H2E FOR MORE ASSISTANCE
STEP 3: DEVELOP AND PROMOTE GOALS AND ACTION PLAN
STEP 4: DEVELOP ORGANIZATIONAL POLICIES
STEP 5: LINK TO H2E FROM YOUR WEBSITE
STEP 6: DEVELOP A MARKETING CAMPAIGN AND PUBLICLY PROMOTE YOUR H2E PROGRAM
STEP 7: ESTABLISH ONGOING EDUCATION
STEP 8: DOCUMENT YOUR SUCCESS
STEP 9: TRACK, MEASURE, AND RECORD PROGRESS
STEP 10: CELEBRATE YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS
STEP 1: UNDERSTAND THE H2E PARTNERS PROGRAM
You should have a basic understanding of how organizations join the H2E Partners program, what tools and resources are available on the website, how to join and use the listserv and what additional services are provided through an annual H2E subscription.
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STEP 2: SUBSCRIBE TO H2E FOR MORE ASSISTANCE
An H2E subscription provides the support and resources you need to achieve your goals as follows:
Teleconferences. H2E hosts twenty-four, 60-90 minute teleconferences each year on topics covering a full range of environmental initiatives, including pharmaceutical management, energy and water efficiency, hazardous waste compliance, and green building design and construction. H2E’s teleconferences bring experts and success stories directly to the workplace!
Technical Assistance. Take advantage of H2E’s Technical Assistance hotline and a comprehensive introductory call to review and set goals or to help you get started with H2E’s tools and resources. If we don’t know the answer, we can direct you to someone who does.
For Business Partners: An Environmental Action Planner. This tool helps your organization develop programs to directly assist health care facilities, identifies specific examples of environmentally-friendly activities for different types of organizations and highlights award-winning achievements of past H2E Champions.
H2E Awards and Recognition. An H2E subscription enables your organization to apply for H2E’s Awards and Recognition program. Highlighting environmental achievements internally is an integral component of long-term sustainability, and winning a national award builds commitment and pride among staff and management. Other steps in this document will discuss the importance of getting positive media to highlight your programs.
Finally, subscriptions help underwrite H2E’s continuing development of new materials and services for you and other Partners to use as part of your continuous quality improvement efforts in the environmental arena. H2E subscriptions demonstrate your organization’s support for the greening of the health care industry.
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STEP 3: DEVELOP AND PROMOTE GOALS AND ACTION PLAN
Participate in an “Introduction to H2E” teleconference (held monthly) to learn about data collection, goal setting, tools and resources, awards and more!
Teleconference Calendar
Develop specific measurable goals for your organization – for example: elimination of mercury from all products you sell; development and implementation of ten comprehensive waste reduction plans for client hospitals; hosting teleconferences as a lunch series for your health care clients (if applicable), recycling of all of your internal office paper; signing on 10 new Partners, to name a few.
H2E’s Sample Goals for H2E Partners
Let your employees know what specific waste, toxic chemical or mercury reduction goals you have set for your organization and affiliated facilities. Engage staff in this effort by asking them for practical suggestions on how to reach your goals.
Let staff know that you will be tracking their progress and rewarding their accomplishments. As the point person for your organization’s partnership with H2E, you need to clearly communicate your organization’s priorities in relation to H2E. Reward exceptional efforts versus a mandate for already busy staff. You can even establish a contest to set up a fun competitive spirit among departments or programs.
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STEP 4: DEVELOP ORGANIZATIONAL POLICIES
Establish policies to support your environmental improvement efforts:
- Develop internal policies and programs that promote the reduction of waste volume and toxicity, eliminate use of mercury-containing products, reduce use of and exposure to toxic substances and encourage the purchase of environmentally preferable products.
- Publicize these policies to your staff, clients and members.
- Include language in personnel policies and job descriptions that requires staff compliance with waste and toxics prevention policies and promotes participation in pollution prevention programs.
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STEP 5: LINK TO H2E FROM YOUR WEBSITE
To make it easy for your staff and facility contacts to get the information they need to take action, place an H2E link on your Intranet and Internet websites. You may also wish to establish a special page on your website promoting your environmental programs and achievements.
To create a link to H2E, download the logo from our Partner Toolbox and send it to your webmaster with the URL: [ http://www.h2e-online.org ]
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STEP 6: DEVELOP A MARKETING CAMPAIGN AND PUBLICLY PROMOTE YOUR H2E PROGRAM
To get the credit you deserve for committing to environmental improvement, launch your H2E Program in a way that catches the attention of your affiliated health care facilities and the larger community. Materials available through the Partners Toolbox; should help your outreach efforts. Work with your communications staff to customize materials for your audience.
- Send out electronic or hard copy fliers or mailings to your customers with details on your environmental goals and programs, and educate clients on specific tools that you can provide to help them improve their environmental performance.
- Let your health care contacts know about the resources available through H2E and develop incentive programs to encourage facilities to join H2E and reduce the environmental impact of their operations.
- Feature an article about your new H2E Partner status in your newsletter and on your website
- Consider organizing a kick-off event at which your organization’s leaders announce your environmental program goals to staff and community members
- Use the sample press releases provided in your welcome packet to get local, state and regional press contacts interested in your new environmental commitments and programs.
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STEP 7: ESTABLISH ONGOING EDUCATION
Active promotion of your own environmental initiatives and the H2E Program is the best way to help your affiliated health care facilities and employees understand the opportunities for action, and to encourage their participation.
- Develop employee orientation/training materials for new hires that focus on environmental activities and goals as part of your corporate culture.
- Regularly include environmental and H2E-related topics in your newsletters, e-mail bulletins and conferences. (You are always welcome to use excerpts from H2E’s website or materials, as long as H2E is credited).
- Download H2E’s monthly newsletter, Stat Green, and post it throughout your organization.
- Participate in H2E’s Listserv and exchange ideas with other like-minded organizations working hard to transform health care!
For maximum success, communicate your goals and initiatives clearly and concisely in your outreach materials, and use H2E case studies to document the advantages of these activities.
Search H2E's Library for case studies
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STEP 8: DOCUMENT YOUR SUCCESS
To measure success and qualify to win an H2E award, build data tracking and reporting into all of your initiatives. Developing baseline information and specific measures to account for progress is an essential first step in achieving environmental excellence.
Request or require data collection and reporting from your affiliated facilities, or if you are a vendor, consultant or service provider, build data tracking and reporting into your services to clients.
H2E has developed a suite of waste and mercury tracking tools which you may wish to use, or to suggest that your H2E Partner facilities use, to document reductions in environmental impact and related cost savings.
Partner Toolbox
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STEP 9: APPLY FOR AN AWARD AND CELEBRATE YOUR COLLECTIVE ACHIEVEMENTS WITH YOUR FACILITY PARTNERS
Make sure hard work is rewarded by getting H2E recognition through the H2E Awards Program. Publicity from awards or media coverage of innovative programs can help create buy-in among management and increase support for the efforts of staff most involved in H2E initiatives:
- Develop a recognition program to celebrate your staff’s environmental achievements and reward your affiliated facilities for theirs. This can range from recognition in your internal newsletter to a full-blown ceremony with awards presented.
- If you have an H2E subscription, apply for a Champion for Change Award. This award not only brings you immediate attention, but qualifies your organization to be listed on the H2E Champions for Change webpage, with a link to a description of your award- winning achievements!
- Apply for state and local awards for pollution prevention and environmental excellence – and let facilities know about those as well.
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STEP 10: PUBLICIZE YOUR SUCCESSES
Make sure that H2E and environmental improvement efforts stay on the radar screen in your corporate communications.
- If you or your affiliates win awards at any level, work with your communications staff to publicize the winners.
- When your staff or affiliates develop innovative or highly successful programs, publicize their success on your website or in newsletters.
- Reach out to local media or trade publications to let them know that you are working to make your operations more environmentally sound, and that this is part of a national trend toward increased environmental responsibility in health care.
- Report your successes to H2E, so other Partners can learn from your experiences.
Success Stories
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