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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#000099'>Now if the major blood collecting organizations would do the same&#8230;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#000099'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#000099'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#000099'><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/kaiser-permanente-to-use-safer-iv-equipment/2012/01/17/gIQArdLs9P_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines">http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/kaiser-permanente-to-use-safer-iv-equipment/2012/01/17/gIQArdLs9P_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#000099'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p><h1>Kaiser Permanente converting to safer IV equipment<o:p></o:p></h1><h3>By <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/lena-h-sun/2011/03/03/ABUvPGP_page.html">Lena H. Sun</a>, <span class=timestamp>Updated: Thursday, January&nbsp;19, </span><span class=time>5:02&nbsp;AM</span><o:p></o:p></h3><p>Kaiser Permanente, one of the country&#8217;s largest health-care providers, plans to announce Thursday that it is converting its intravenous equipment to more eco-friendly alternatives free of two chemicals that have been shown to harm humans and the environment, officials said.<o:p></o:p></p><p>Kaiser will buy IV solution bags that are 100&nbsp;percent free of PVC and DEHP and intravenous tubing that is free of DEHP. The two chemicals are widely used in medical products. DEHP, or di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, used to make plastic bags and tubing more pliable, has been linked to reproductive problems and other health effects. When PVC plastic is manufactured or incinerated, it creates dioxin pollution, a known carcinogen.<o:p></o:p></p><p>The announcement reflects a broader movement by hospitals and health systems to organize the industry&#8217;s vast purchasing power to <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/hospitals-health-groups-use-purchasing-power-to-push-for-greener-medical-products/2011/10/12/gIQAaDWPgL_story.html">push manufacturers of medical products </a>to make them with safer chemicals.<o:p></o:p></p><p>Last fall, five large groups that buy $130&nbsp;billion worth of medical products every year adopted a standard set of questions they want vendors to answer about a variety of chemicals contained in products. The questions are designed to encourage manufacturers to produce greener and safer products for workers, patients and the environment, industry executives have said.<o:p></o:p></p><p>In 2010, Kaiser was the first in the industry to announce that it would require suppliers to provide environmental data for $1&nbsp;billion worth of medical equipment and products used in Kaiser&#8217;s hospitals, medical offices and other facilities.<o:p></o:p></p><p>&#8220;There are lots of major suppliers that heard the message loud and clear that we want to move away from products containing known harmful chemicals,&#8221; said Kathy Gerwig, Kaiser Permanente&#8217;s vice president for employer safety, health and wellness.<o:p></o:p></p><p>Kaiser&#8217;s latest conversion is its highest-volume and most visible change, she said. It affects nearly 100&nbsp;tons of medical equipment &#8212; 4.9&nbsp;million IV tubing sets and 9.2&nbsp;million solution bags &#8212; each year. It is also expected to save almost $5&nbsp;million a year.<o:p></o:p></p><p>The process is expected to take about six months. The new equipment is being made with chemicals that are &#8220;not targeted as chemicals of concern,&#8221; but meet the same quality standards, said spokeswoman Susannah Patton.<o:p></o:p></p><p>In the meantime, Gerwig said consumers should not avoid getting the treatment and medicine they need. The chemicals &#8220;are not immediately poisonous,&#8221; she said.<o:p></o:p></p><p>&#8220;On an individual basis, we can&#8217;t say there is a specific exposure that will cause a negative health outcome,&#8221; she said. &#8220;What we are saying is that for overall community and population health, reducing the potential of exposures to chemicals we know are correlated to disease is a good thing.&#8221; <o:p></o:p></p><p>&copy; The Washington Post Company<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#000099'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#000099'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#000099'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#000099'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#000099'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'>Deborah L. DeBiasi</span><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'><br></span><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'>Email: &nbsp;&nbsp;Deborah.DeBiasi@deq.virginia.gov</span></b><b><i><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:red'><br></span></i></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'>WEB site address:&nbsp; <a href="http://www.deq.virginia.gov/">www.deq.virginia.gov</a></span><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'><br></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'>Virginia Department of Environmental Quality</span><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'><br></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'>Office of Water Permit and Compliance Assistance Programs</span><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'><br></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'>Industrial Pretreatment/Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) Program</span><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'><br></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'>PPCPs, EDCs, and Microconstituents</span><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'> <br></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'><a href="http://www.deq.virginia.gov/vpdes/microconstituents.html">www.deq.virginia.gov/vpdes/microconstituents.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'>Mail:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; P.O. Box 1105, Richmond, VA&nbsp; 23218</span><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'><br></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'>Location:&nbsp; 629 E. Main Street, Richmond, VA&nbsp; 23219</span><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'><br></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'>PH:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;804-698-4028&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; FAX: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 804-698-4032</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#000099'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p></div></body></html>