On the Road with AOR: Recycling in Health Care Facilities and MRF Tour

Providence Health and Services
6322 NE Halsey St, Portland
Tuesday, August 11, 8:30am-12pm
 

The first AOR On the Road Tour was attended by over 40 people who gathered for a networking breakfast and to learn about recycling in health care facilities. The presentations featured a panel of medical waste experts discussing special considerations for medical facilities, keys to a successful recycling program, and the story of Providence Health and Services’ recycling programs.  The morning concluded with a tour of the Providence Health and Services’ material recovery facility, which was created in 2000 and employs people with disabilities to sort low grade medical plastics and curbside recyclables.

Agenda

• 8:30am -9:15am: Networking Breakfast
• 9:15am – 10:45pm: Recycling in Health Care Facilities: Best Practices, Challenges and Opportunities
  Speakers: Jeff Norton, Waste Management Healthcare Solutions and Michael Gellar, Providence Health and Services
  Health care experts will share their stories in developing and advancing recycling and materials management practices in health care institutions.
• 10:45am – 11:00am: Break
• 11:00am-12:00pm: Tour of Providence and MRF (please wear closed-toe shoes)

Speaker Bios

Jeff Norton, Waste Management
Jeff Norton is a Strategic Account Manager for Waste Management’s Healthcare Solutions team. Jeff works with Healthcare IDN's, Universities, and GPOs throughout the Pacific Northwest (WA/OR/ID), California, Nevada, Alaska, British Columbia (Canada), and Alberta (Canada) to provide comprehensive service offerings to Healthcare customers. Jeff has over 20 years of experience in sales, marketing, consulting, training, operations, logistics, business development, managing, and implementing waste and sustainability programs within all sizes of healthcare facilities. He has managed operational coordination and launched new successful waste and medical device programs.

Michael Gellar, Providence Health and Services
Michael Geller is the Regional Sustainability Manager for Providence Health and Services, Oregon. He is responsible for the creation and adoption of sustainable management practices for the eight Oregon hospitals and multiple satellite facilities. This includes implementing programs in waste reduction and increasing recycling, alternative transportation, healthy food, energy, and environmentally preferred purchasing. He manages the Vocational Staff at the Providence recycling center who sort commingled recycling and works with vendors to sell the sorted material to help offset the cost of recycling programs. Michael also co-chairs the Providence Oregon Sustainability Council working with leadership on goal setting and staff engagement, thus reducing our environmental footprint.