4.13.2007 - 09:59am ET

(CSRwire) CHARLOTTE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 13, 2007--To help more hospitals share best practices for developing "green" - or environmentally sound - programs, the Premier Safety Institute recently launched a new public Web site, "Green Corner."

Located at www.premierinc.com/greencorner, the site showcases hospital and supplier success stories about "green" initiatives that contribute to a safer, healthier community environment. Stories are categorized under major topics, such as energy savings and waste reduction, making it easy for hospitals to find specific information on programs of interest.

"Going green" not only is a smart way for hospitals to protect the environment, it also allows them to reduce operational costs, gain a competitive advantage and keep staff and patients satisfied.

"'Green Corner' provides a valuable resource for healthcare professionals seeking anecdotes about how their peers in the hospital industry are tackling important community environmental issues - both simple and complex," said Gina Pugliese, RN, vice president of the Premier Safety Institute. Pugliese noted that such information can provide an important starting point for projects whose ultimate goal is to reduce waste, save money and protect a community's quality of life both now and for future generations.

The new site also complements the Safety Institute's free, electronic newsletter, "Green Link," that highlights the latest news on "green" healthcare practices and purchasing.

In addition, "Green Corner" expands the Premier Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) program's public suite of offerings - which currently includes electronic tools to support critical environmental efforts such as mercury pollution prevention and computer recycling. Premier's EPP program, a collaboration of the Safety Institute and Premier's group purchasing program, supports the efforts of members and the industry-at-large to enhance the safety and health of patients, healthcare workers and the environment. For example, on behalf of hundreds of hospitals and the communities they serve, the EPP program recently secured purchasing agreements with Dell and Gateway for computers and electronic devices that address significant environmental concerns regarding the manufacturing, use and end-of-life disposal and/or recycling of electronics.

About Premier, 2006 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recipient

Serving 1,700 hospitals and more than 45,000 other healthcare sites, Premier is the largest healthcare alliance in the United States dedicated to improving patient outcomes while safely reducing the cost of care. Owned by not-for-profit hospitals, Premier operates the nation's largest healthcare purchasing network, the most comprehensive repository of hospital clinical and financial information and one of the largest policy-holder owned, hospital professional liability risk-retention groups in healthcare. Premier's Safety Institute provides publicly available safety resources and tools to promote a safe healthcare delivery environment for patients, workers, and the environment. Headquartered in San Diego, Premier has offices in Charlotte, N.C. and Washington. For more information, visit www.premierinc.com.


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