Health Care Work Group

Health Care Work Group

The Coalition’s health care work group works to reduce the use of toxic chemicals in health care, in order to create the safest healing environment possible for patients, staff and families, and to benefit the public health of the broader community.

Currently, our core work is focused on:

1. Phasing out PVC medical devices containing DEHP
2. Adopting alternatives to products containing brominated flame retardants
3. Engaging health professionals on advocacy efforts to eliminate harmful environmental exposures to protect and improve children’s health and public health
4. Working toward a comprehensive chemicals policy

Learn more about our work

Request a presentation for your health facility

Related Resources

Health Care Work Group Issues

Reducing the Use of PVC Medical Devices Containing DEHP <learn more>

Brominated Flame Retardants / PBDEs <learn more>

Presentations for Health Professionals

Pollution in People

Please contact jdawson@wato schedule a presentation regarding this Washington State body burden study, which documented the presence of toxic chemicals in the study’s 10 participants from western and eastern Washington. www.pollutioninpeople.org.

Phasing out PVC/DEHP in Health Care

Learn about the health impacts from DEHP exposures, the public health concerns with PVC materials, and ways that hospitals regionally and nationally are moving to safer alternatives.

Please contact TFL steering committee members Cherie Eicholz at Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility, cherie@wpsr.org; or Karen Bowman with the Washington State Nurses Association, Karen@karenbowman.com, to schedule a presentation or grand rounds on this issue.

In Harm’s Way presentations for health providers

Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility will be providing hour-long In Harm’s Way presentations to health professionals. These presentations provide the latest science regarding impacts of environmental toxins on child development, and guidance materials for health professionals to incorporate prevention of toxic exposures into their practices.
Please contact cherie@wpsr.org to schedule a presentation.

Related Resources

Related Resolutions by Health/Public Health Associations
on Toxic Chemicals & Safer Chemicals Policies

Pub Hub: Environmental Health Nursing Research Archive
hosted by the University of Washington Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing Program

ANA Web Site: Occupational Health - Hazardous Chemicals

Work group Leaders:

Cherie Eichholz, Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility, cherie@wpsr.org

Karen Bowman, Washington State Nurses Association, karen@karenbowman.com

or contact Jim Dawson, Program Director at jdawson@watoxics.org or 360-292-8540.