Rhodes. In all, it's doing about
600 cases per month, meaning
the amount of fluid waste that's
being generated has gone up
exponentially.
Once upon a time, the facility
red-binned its untreated fluid
waste. As the waste piled up in
periods of high volume, the
odor would intensify till the
waste-removal vendor came to
retrieve it. Then, about 2 years
ago, the facility changed course
by solidifying and decontami-
nating the contents of reusable
suction canisters and then bag-
ging the waste. Ms. Rhodes
says the "new way" is a marked
improvement.
"Sometimes the waste would pour out of the red bins; it was very
unsanitary," she says. "The way we do it now, most of it is appropriate
for white bag; all we have to do is label it with a sticker that says it's
treated solid medical waste."
Ms. Rhodes says the change has helped the facility "save a ton of
money" on waste-disposal costs. She estimates the facility was spend-
ing $3,000 per month on red-bag waste pickup — a number that has
been slashed to $1,000 a month. In comparison, the cost of the solidi-
fying and disinfecting agent runs about $400 per month. "You look to
save anywhere you can," she says. "Every little bit helps, especially
when you're physician-owned."
9 0 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • A P R I L 2 0 1 7
After you rinse them
with an enzymatic
cleaner, you can place
disposable canisters in
the regular trash.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN
