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The Mount Sinai Receives Award

By Robin Verges

NEW YORK, March 7, 2011—Through its commitment to sustainability, The Mount Sinai Medical Center last year diverted 26,544 pounds (13+ tons) of medical waste from landfills, and saved $1.7 million by recycling single-use medical devices.

        Mount Sinai’s efforts to recycle medical equipment used in its operating rooms and electrophysiology labs earned it the Ascent Gold Healthy Hospital Award, presented at a special event held last month. The reused equipment includes pulse oximeters, compression sleeves, open-heart stabilizers, and laparoscopic trocars. These devices are reprocessed in accordance with U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines. 

        The award was issued by Ascent Healthcare Solutions, which recycles and reprocesses medical devices for more than 1,800 U.S. hospitals. Ascent noted that Mount Sinai’s sustainability efforts led to a 37 percent increase over the 19,439 pounds of waste that were diverted in 2009, and a cost savings of more than 120 percent over 2009, when savings totaled $758,759. Mount Sinai began its recycling partnership with Ascent in 2007.

        “A tremendous amount of work goes into this effort. It is truly collaborative. Everyone from the housekeepers to the doctors is involved,” said Daryl Wilkerson, Vice President of Support Services, who runs Mount Sinai’s sustainability program with Keith Margrill, MBA, Corporate Director of Materials Management.

imageMembers of Mount Sinai’s recycling effort include, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Carmelo Calderon, Operating Room Materials Manager; Jesus Mercado, Director of Logistics; Maxine Shepherd, Director of Value Analysis; Daryl Wilkerson; Keith Margrill; and Annette Aiken, Inventory Manager


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