Brownstone Health & Fitness is getting greener!
As nourishing as our allied health professions are for the body and mind, our environment often pays the price. Healthcare generates a lot of waste- have you ever thought about our carbon footprint? Between the resources used on paper, laundry, supplies & energy, to the chemicals used for cleaning, our industry is not very kind to the environment. Brownstone Health & Fitness is launching several initiatives in attempt to combat our negative impact towards our planet.
1. Emailed invoices- as many of our client’s insurance plans are adapting online submissions for reimbursement, receiving your invoice via email might actually make your cost recovery a little easier! And it can be handy for those of you that have trouble keeping track of paper....
2. Online medical records- Wow! This was a game changer for us :-). We tried to eliminate the paper wasted through file folders and chart notes- I haven't heard one complaint from any of our admin team missing paper cuts. We are working to ensure you will never have to worry about your records being lost, damaged, or eventually properly destroyed as we have them securely stored. We have also adopted an online faxing system, so we no longer have to print fax covers, or have paper spilling out of our fax machines at all times of the day and night. The communication is now entered directly into your virtual chart.
3. Cleanable pillow cases- thanks to Eco-Pro Pillows, we were the first company in Canada to use this thoughtful product. Developed in response to the water restrictions imposed due to the droughts in California, these PVC and VOC free pillowcases can be effectively cleaned with our hospital grade table cleaners. Our water and power consumption has decreased dramatically since we’ve brought these products into our clinic- as well as being both functionally and esthetically pleasing. It is estimated that we will save 2600 gallons of water per pillowcase!
4. Environmentally friendly cleaning products- While maintaining hospital required cleanliness, we have been able to find Canadian made cleaning products to help us ensure you have a healthy treatment area.
5. Laminated and electronic intake forms- whenever possible, once we have a form created and standardized to our practitioner's preference, we have decided to laminate the form. Our clients use wet erase markers to fill in their information, we scan the details into our electronic system, and wipe the form clean. It is ready and waiting to be used again.
6. Virtual Care- skip the commute? Save some time? Receive care from the comfort of your home? Yes. Yes. And YES! For services that are capable, we can easily offer your appointment via our end-to-end encrypted video software. For mental health services, this can take down so many barriers. And physio? Really? Yes, some physio can be provided virtually- and there is substantial high-quality research coming out of the University of Saskatchewan to support this delivery method.
7. Equipment loan- Sometimes, our consumer culture can get the best of us. When it comes to musculoskeletal injury, it is never planned or anticipated. During your rehab, if there is some equipment that could help you get better faster, we will loan it to you (when possible) for up to one month. And when you bring it back, we all hope you will never need it again :-)
We are constantly on the lookout for innovative and environmentally respectful products for our clinic. We strive to use local products as often as possible, and would welcome any suggestions. If you have ideas, please send them to admin@brownstonehealth.ca.
Daysha Shuya
Sport Physio, Director
BScPT, MScKin, DPT, CAFCI/GTT, RYI