Program on the Environment

The healthcare sector saves the lives of millions of people each year, and yet, it also puts the population at risk through its copious carbon emissions and pollution. Thus, it is exigent that healthcare facilities reduce their environmental footprint through sustainable procurement choices and environmentally friendly practices. As a facility dedicated to practicing sustainable healthcare, Harborview Medical Center is currently exploring the possibility of adopting reusable isolation gowns. Accordingly, the purpose of my internship was to determine the environmental benefits and feasibility of switching to reusable isolation gowns at Harborview. A screening Life Cycle Analysis was conducted to determine and compare the environmental impacts of using reusable and plastic gowns; this research was also supplemented by literature review. Next, the feasibility of adopting reusable gowns at Harborview was explored through a feasibility and impact analysis informed by stakeholder interviews and literature review. These studies found that reusable gowns are a favored alternative to plastic gowns due to their proven environmental impact reduction, perceived sustainability, and increased comfortability for end-users. However, key barriers to reusable gown use include Infection Prevention Control concerns over the barrier protection level of the gowns, space constraints, and a substantial net cost increase. Ultimately, reusable gowns are a promising sustainable alternative to plastic gowns that are preferred and supported by many important stakeholders. However, risk, space, and cost must be managed in order to implement gowns in a way that complements existing workflows, maintains efficiency, and most importantly keeps staff and patients safe.