Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E) is a voluntary program to help health care facilities reduce the amount and toxicity of the wastes they generate. H2E partner hospitals pledge their commitment to eliminate mercury; minimize waste; and reduce use of hazardous and persistent, bioaccumulative toxic substances, while setting their own, facility-specific goals.

Eight Idaho hospitals have joined to become H2E "Partners":

Bonner General Hospital

Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center

Idaho Elks Rehabilitation Hospital

Magic Valley Regional Medical Center

McCall Memorial Hospital

Mercy Medical Center

Portneuf Medical Center

West Valley Medical Center

Four of the eight H2E Partner hospitals are virtually mercury-free. Many others have conducted inventories of all mercury-containing equipment and made plans to replace it with mercury-free alternatives where feasible. For example:

Idaho Elks Rehabilitation Hospital replaced all patient mercury thermometers with mercury-free ones, including those sold in their pharmacy and sent home with patients. Also, six sphygmomanometers were replaced with mercury-free units eliminating 480 grams of mercury. Idaho Elks has established a mercury management policy and has set a goal to be mercury-free by 2006.

Information on this Web page represents examples of projects undertaken by the organizations only and does not constitute Departmental certification or approval of compliance at this or any other time with federal, state and/or local regulations, but is solely presented as an example of projects undertaken by organizations in order to prevent pollution and/or conserve resources.