Ascent Healthcare Solutions introduces CE credit programs for sustainable healthcare solutions

Ascent Healthcare Solutions, a leader in delivering healthcare resource sustainability, today launched an online educational portal on its Web site offering complimentary accredited Continuing Education (CE) programs. The first available programs are designed to teach simple, impactful practices for increasing sustainability in the operating room and EP lab. Developed in response to overwhelming industry demand for more education on sustainability practices, these first courses are tailored to all hospital-based registered nurses, technicians and administrators. Ascent’s programs are accredited nationally through the California Board of Nursing and available at www.ascenths.com/resources/education.

“Sustainability in healthcare is not a destination; it is a path that we are committed to in order to benefit the communities and environments in which we live”

With complimentary CE credit programs, Ascent is offering a value-add to the clinical and support staff at its partner hospitals in appreciation of their efforts in carrying out successful reprocessing programs. Ascent values its customers and understands their need to advance stronger sustainability results. Ascent is offering these courses free of charge to all hospital personnel to celebrate the results achieved in partnership with customers in 2009 and to prepare for even stronger sustainability results in 2010.

“At recent AORN conferences, we test-marketed the interest and need for education on sustainability practices and were overwhelmed by the response,” said Rick Ferreira, Chief Operating Officer of Ascent Healthcare Solutions. “We recognized the demand for such programs and the need to provide accessible educational resources. Clinicians and other hospital decision-makers make choices everyday that can impact their hospital’s environmental footprint. Ascent wanted to offer an array of complimentary resources to help people understand the sustainability opportunities available to them and also as a ‘thank you’ for their partnership with Ascent and a reward for their notable reprocessing efforts.”

Two complimentary online CE courses are currently available:

1. Sustainability in the Surgical Environment – addresses a chief concern of perioperative nurses: sustainability in the operating room, including environmentally-friendly practices and pathways to sustainability that support healthy and responsible surgical environments.
2. Sustainability in the Electrophysiology Lab – takes nurses and technicians through a model of sustainability in healthcare, examining the relationship between quality care and sustainability, and the role of redistribution, remanufacturing, recycling and reprocessing in the EP lab.

Additional courses targeted to materials managers and healthcare consultants will be released in 2010. Ascent has partnered with HealthStream to deliver the courses to over 10,000 clinicians and hospital administrators nationwide.

A pioneer in healthcare sustainability, Ascent Healthcare Solutions brings its hospital partners the latest device innovations and value-added services that enable hospitals to reduce unnecessary costs, reduce their impact on the environment and, most importantly, improve their focus on overall patient care quality.

“Sustainability in healthcare is not a destination; it is a path that we are committed to in order to benefit the communities and environments in which we live,” said Ferreira.

Source: Ascent Healthcare Solutions