Oregon Health Care Without Harm Campaign
International Health Care Without Harm 2001-2007
Program Manager Health Care Without Harm is an international coalition of hospitals and health care systems, medical professionals, community groups, health-affected constituencies, labor unions, environmental and environmental health organizations and religious groups working to implement ecologically sound and healthy alternatives to health care practices that pollute the environment and contribute to disease. For six years Neha served as a steering committee member for the international HCWH, and in 2001, she launched the Oregon chapter in 2001. Neha assisted in developing and reviewing content for the Health Care Without Harm tool kit: Going Green: A Resource Kit for Pollution Prevention in Healthcare, and collaborated with Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems to disseminate the tool kit to its members and provide implementation support. Neha coordinated Oregon HCWH working groups in the areas of waste management and recycling, toxic materials, healthy food, green building and green purchasing.
International Health Care Without Harm 2001-2007
Program Manager Health Care Without Harm is an international coalition of hospitals and health care systems, medical professionals, community groups, health-affected constituencies, labor unions, environmental and environmental health organizations and religious groups working to implement ecologically sound and healthy alternatives to health care practices that pollute the environment and contribute to disease. For six years Neha served as a steering committee member for the international HCWH, and in 2001, she launched the Oregon chapter in 2001. Neha assisted in developing and reviewing content for the Health Care Without Harm tool kit: Going Green: A Resource Kit for Pollution Prevention in Healthcare, and collaborated with Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems to disseminate the tool kit to its members and provide implementation support. Neha coordinated Oregon HCWH working groups in the areas of waste management and recycling, toxic materials, healthy food, green building and green purchasing.
Oregon Sustainable Hospitals Roundtables
Oregon Center for Environmental Health 2001-2007
Project Manager Neha launched the successful sustainability roundtable in 2001, which is now facilitated by METRO, the regional government of greater Portland. The purpose of the roundtables is to create space for healthcare professionals, and those who offer technical assistance to healthcare, to come together to share results and experiences, build collaboration and learn about new issues and resources pertaining to sustainability. The roundtables have been so successful in developing effective solutions in areas such as infectious (red-bag) waste reduction, electronics, lamps and plastics recycling that they have been replicated in other parts of the country including Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay area and Idaho.
Oregon Center for Environmental Health 2001-2007
Project Manager Neha launched the successful sustainability roundtable in 2001, which is now facilitated by METRO, the regional government of greater Portland. The purpose of the roundtables is to create space for healthcare professionals, and those who offer technical assistance to healthcare, to come together to share results and experiences, build collaboration and learn about new issues and resources pertaining to sustainability. The roundtables have been so successful in developing effective solutions in areas such as infectious (red-bag) waste reduction, electronics, lamps and plastics recycling that they have been replicated in other parts of the country including Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay area and Idaho.
Northwest Hospitals for Healthy Environment
Region 10, Environmental Protection Agency 2004-2007
Coordinator With support from the Environmental Protection Agency, Neha was selected to develop and coordinate the Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E) Program for Northwest states including Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Alaska. The program was successful in fostering collaboration and developing pilot programs including a Plastics Recycling Program for Rural Hospitals that partnered urban and rural health systems.
Region 10, Environmental Protection Agency 2004-2007
Coordinator With support from the Environmental Protection Agency, Neha was selected to develop and coordinate the Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E) Program for Northwest states including Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Alaska. The program was successful in fostering collaboration and developing pilot programs including a Plastics Recycling Program for Rural Hospitals that partnered urban and rural health systems.
Practice Greenhealth 2001-2007
Regional Organizer Practice Greenhealth is the nation’s leading membership and networking organization for institutions in the healthcare community that have made a commitment to sustainable, eco-friendly practices. Members include hospitals, healthcare systems, businesses and other stakeholders engaged in the greening of healthcare to improve the health of patients, staff and the environment. Neha has extensive experience linking the Oregon healthcare sector to Practice Greenhealth resources and tools, including an annual awards program to recognize outstanding achievements in improving the healthcare industry's environmental performance. In 2008, eight METRO-based hospitals were recognized and inducted into the Environmental Leadership Circle, the nation’s highest environmental honor for hospitals. Neha has also served on the selection commitee for Practice Greenhealth’s premier awards program. Practice Greenhealth is also a founding member of the Green Guide for Healthcare (GGHC). This GGHC provides the healthcare sector with a voluntary, self-certifying metric toolkit of best practices to guide and evaluate their progress towards high performance healing environments. Neha recruited and provided implementation support to Oregon health systems to utilizing the healthcare sector’s first quantifiable sustainable design toolkit integrating enhanced environmental and health principles and practices into the planning, design, construction, operations and maintenance of their facilities.
Regional Organizer Practice Greenhealth is the nation’s leading membership and networking organization for institutions in the healthcare community that have made a commitment to sustainable, eco-friendly practices. Members include hospitals, healthcare systems, businesses and other stakeholders engaged in the greening of healthcare to improve the health of patients, staff and the environment. Neha has extensive experience linking the Oregon healthcare sector to Practice Greenhealth resources and tools, including an annual awards program to recognize outstanding achievements in improving the healthcare industry's environmental performance. In 2008, eight METRO-based hospitals were recognized and inducted into the Environmental Leadership Circle, the nation’s highest environmental honor for hospitals. Neha has also served on the selection commitee for Practice Greenhealth’s premier awards program. Practice Greenhealth is also a founding member of the Green Guide for Healthcare (GGHC). This GGHC provides the healthcare sector with a voluntary, self-certifying metric toolkit of best practices to guide and evaluate their progress towards high performance healing environments. Neha recruited and provided implementation support to Oregon health systems to utilizing the healthcare sector’s first quantifiable sustainable design toolkit integrating enhanced environmental and health principles and practices into the planning, design, construction, operations and maintenance of their facilities.
Oregon Healthy Food in Health Care ProjectOregon Healthcare Without Harm 2004-2007
Coordinator This successful initiative employs market-based forces to increase demand for sustainably produced foods, improve hospital food quality, educate the public, and bolster the local economy. The principal goal of the project is to leverage the significant purchasing power and influence of hospitals to support regional markets for fresh, sustainable food, and to model healthy food choices to the public. Neha secured funding and launched the project in 2006 and the effort is now managed by Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility.
Coordinator This successful initiative employs market-based forces to increase demand for sustainably produced foods, improve hospital food quality, educate the public, and bolster the local economy. The principal goal of the project is to leverage the significant purchasing power and influence of hospitals to support regional markets for fresh, sustainable food, and to model healthy food choices to the public. Neha secured funding and launched the project in 2006 and the effort is now managed by Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility.
