Hospital recognized for reducing mercury

Hutchinson Community Hospital is one of 42 hospitals among more than 4,000 hospitals nationwide to receive a one-time award for its efforts toward reducing mercury.

The award, the 2007 H2E Making Medicine Mercury-Free Award, was presented in May to Hutchinson Community Hospital public safety officer Karen Ober by Hospitals For A Healthy Environment.

Ober said the hospital has eliminated approximately 90 percent of its mercury by:

— Replacing equipment with mercury-free equipment when possible, and if not possible, labeling equipment for proper disposal so it does not end up in landfills.

— During the hospital’s recent construction, replacing mercury switches and dials with mercury-free devices.

— Researching cleaning chemicals, lab products and pharmaceuticals containing mercury and finding alternatives.

Mercury is useful in many applications and is harmless in an insoluble form, but is poisonous in soluble forms.

(Doug Hanneman is editor of the Hutchinson Leader. He may be reached at hanneman@hutchinsonleader.com)