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Kaiser Permanente Case Study

Kaiser Permanente Case Study. Alternatives Assessment Meeting December 2, 2004 Lynn Garske Environmental Stewardship Manager. Overview. Kaiser Permanente is the nation’s largest nonprofit health plan. 8.2 million members. 431 medical office buildings. 30 medical centers.

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Kaiser Permanente Case Study

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  1. Kaiser Permanente Case Study Alternatives Assessment Meeting December 2, 2004 Lynn Garske Environmental Stewardship Manager

  2. Overview Kaiser Permanente is the nation’s largest nonprofit health plan 8.2 million members 431 medical office buildings 30 medical centers • $25 billion annual revenue • 136,500 employees • 12,300 physicians • 9 states and Wash DC

  3. Environmental Stewardship at KP • Environmental Stewardship Vision: • We aspire to provide health care services in a manner that protects and enhances the environment and health of communities now and for future generations. • Focus areas: • Green Buildings, Environmentally Responsible Purchasing, Sustainable Operations

  4. Why Sustainability • Alignment with corporate mission: improve the health of the communities we serve. • Industry practices generate waste, pollution and consume natural resources • Recognized link between building design and health outcomes • Impact of building materials on indoor air quality and environmental health • Planned growth 2004-2013: • 25 new hospitals, replacements or significant additions • 100 new medical office buildings (MOBs)

  5. Alternatives Assessments • Medical Products: • PVC/DEHP-free products for neonatal units; latex-free and PVC-free exam gloves; mercury-free measurement devices • Safer chemicals: • Replacing mercury-based fixatives; selecting greener cleaners; recyclable solvents • Green Buildings: • carpet • hard surface/resilient flooring • casework

  6. Evolution of Effort • Clinical (with formal protocols) to non-clinical (we invented protocols) • Initial work on building materials required consultants; today we’re able to conduct most of the activities internally • Key component is objective, independent, transparent verification of vendor claims and test results

  7. Framework for Assessing Building Materials Sourcing Mfg Use Post-Use • Sourcing (product content) • free of PVC; free of PBTs and carcinogens; post consumer; security of supply • Sustainable manufacturing • waste; energy; water; TRI • Use • CHPS 1350; Green Seal; our own air sampling • performance; aesthetics • Post use • recyclability; reuse; take back

  8. Overview – Casework Project • Project context • Results • Details – limited LCA – 7 vendors • Sourcing • Manufacturing • Use • Post-Use

  9. Project Context • Goal: • To improve indoor air quality of the built environment by reducing harmful emissions. • Scope: • Particleboard (PB) and Medium-Density Fiberboard (MDF) that are the foundations of finishings and furnishings. • Project: • To identify alternative materials to traditional PB and MDF bound with urea formaldehyde binders using LCA criteria.

  10. Review Team • Environmental Stewardship – Research, vendor contact • Cabinet Shops – Performance testing, expertise • Contracting – Pricing and acquisition • NFS Green Buildings Liaison

  11. Binders Urea Formaldehyde – traditional Lignin – not yet viable for desired applications Phenol Formaldehyde – not subject to Form. Reg. due to low emissions Polymeric diphenylmethane diisocyanate - pMDI – low exposure limits for raw product, no detectable emissions after curing Content Recovered/recycled wood Forest Certified Wood – recovered/not Wheat residuals Rice residuals – local plants don’t mfg. product Sugarcane bagasse – not in production Paper – Mfg. out of business Early Research Results – PB/MDF

  12. Did not undergo LCA Enviroboard - rice, wrong product – thick board Weyerhauser – recovered wood, no response Temple-Inland, FSC – formaldehyde binder Acadiaboard Duracane, sugarcane bagasse – out of business CanFibre – AllGreen, recovered wood, unable to contact DuraGreen, sugarcane bagasse, out of business Underwent LCA Sonoco – paper/lignin, out of business Phenix Bioply – newspaper, pMDI SierraPine Medite – recovered wood, pMDI Collins Companies – FSC wood, urea form. Dow BioProducts Woodstalk – wheat, pMDI Rodman Industries Resincore – recovered wood, phenol formaldehyde Sorm, Inc. – wheat, pMDI Vendors

  13. Life Cycle Analysis - Sourcing • PBT’s, carcinogens – binders, pesticides • Rapidly renewable – wheat, rec. wood • Security of supply – capacity available • Packaging – minimal, strapping • Transportation – rail, truck • FSC, SCS certified – recovered wood/not • Free of added formaldehyde - binder • Sustainable agricultural practices - wheat

  14. LCA – Sustainable Manufacturing • Waste minimization • Water minimization • Non-renewable energy minimization • Reduced emissions during manufacturing • Environmental data: • US EPA - Toxics Release Inventory - http://www.epa.gov/triexplorer/ • Scorecard - http://www.scorecard.org/ • Environment Canada - http://www.ec.gc.ca/pdb/npri/npri_home_e.cfm • Worker injury data

  15. Indoor Air Quality California High Performance School (CHPS) 1350 emissions – whole unit testing – http://www.chps.net/ CHPS Carcinogen standards Green Seal http://www.greenseal.org/recommendations.htm Building Green Inc. http://www.buildinggreen.com/menus/subtopics.cfm?TopicID=5 Performance Machinability Aesthetics Durability Strength Water resistance Maintenance/IAQ Cabinet Shop findings Wheat PB Recovered wood MDF Finishes LCA – Use: IAQ and Performance

  16. LCA – Post Use • Closed loop recyclable • Readily down-cycled • Supplier facilitates end of life disposition

  17. LCA – General Criteria • Environmental Statement, Mission • Facility locations • Dimensions • Quality assurance

  18. Green Seal Choose Green Reporthttp://www.greenseal.org/cgrs/CGR_PB&MDF.pdf ISOCYANATES by Eric LeBretonhttp://www.tc.gc.ca/canutec/en/articles/documents/isocy.htm Isocyanates - Risk Assessment and Preventive measures, Nordic supervisory authorities, - Copenhagen 2000 http://www.arbeidstilsynet.no/publikasjoner/rapporter/rapport1eng.html OSHA info - http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/isocyanates/ Preventing Asthma and Death from Diisocyanate Exposure NIOSH ALERT: 1996DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 96-111 http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/asthma.html report on particleboard/mdf http://www.fiberfutures.org/pages/fiberlinks.html Resources – Fiberboard, Isocyanates

  19. KP Decision on Casework • Pursuing RFP on 3 most promising products • all are free of added formaldehyde • 2 wheat-based products • 1 post industrial wood product • all are less expensive than current product! • For contracted casework, develop specs and pursue through our GPO • Overall effort considered big win by the KP Green Building Committee

  20. Questions/Comments

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