Online PR News – 08-April-2013 –Chicago, IL – Dr. Steven Koos, an oral surgeon in Chicago, was recently featured in the cover story of the April 2013 issue of the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association Journal. The cover story, titled Operation Green – Implementing Sustainable And Eco-Friendly Practices In Your Surgery Center, showcases the environmentally responsible practices employed by the Chicago oral surgeon within his practice and ambulatory surgery center (ASC).
An ASC is a facility that provides same-day surgical care and offers a more convenient alternative to hospital-based outpatient procedures. Dr. Koos’ oral surgery practice in the Chicago Loop, ORA® Oral Surgery & Implant Studio, is recognized as an ASC. Within his ASC, Dr. Koos performs oral and jaw surgery procedures, as well as dental implants in Chicago.
ORA® Oral Surgery & Implant Studio was highlighted in the ASCA Journal article due to the fact that the ambulatory surgery center diverts about 7,500 pounds of refuse from landfills each year, conserves about 3,000 gallons of water annually, has created a patient care facility that is free from the effects of mercury, lead, PVC, latex, BPA, BFR and DEHP, and has substantially reduced its carbon footprint. As Dr. Koos explains in the article, this is achieved through practices such as the use of a paperless digital charting system, reusable clinical textiles, autoclavable alternatives to single-use plastic items, routine waste management and recycling procedures, standardized instrument kits, the use of an on-site biohazard waste processor, and by partnering with companies that repurpose the ASC’s medical waste into reusable products, such as those used for roads and bridges.
As the Chicago oral surgeon mentions in the article, “It’s our corporate social responsibility to do things the right way for our patients and the surrounding community.” Dr. Koos and his staff are continuously looking for ways to improve the “greenness” of their practice. As Dr. Koos explains, “protocol focused on social responsibility should be infused within the fabric of how every corporation is run, whether through the use of simple campaigns or complex initiatives.”
ORA® Oral Surgery & Implant Studio, as well as Dr. Koos, have received a number of awards for their environmentally responsible and sustainable medical practices in recent years. The practice has received the Greenest Business Award by the Alliance for a Greener South Loop Chicago, has been recognized by CleanMed as a Partner for Change with Distinction Award and with the Making Medicine Mercury Free Award, is the recipient of Green Health Care Program’s Gold Star Award, and is a Gold-Certified Charter Practice of the Eco-Dentistry Association.
The Ambulatory Surgery Center Association is a national membership association that provides resources to assist ambulatory surgery centers in delivering high quality and cost effective services to their patients. The association also represents ambulatory surgery centers in connection with other organizations, insurance companies, government programs and the public, and provides advocacy services. The ASCA Journal is a monthly magazine published by the organization.
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Chicago Loop oral surgeon, Dr. Steven Koos, and his practice ORA® Oral Surgery & Implant Studio, have been recognized by numerous organizations for their environmentally responsible medical and dental practices. Most recently, the Chicago oral surgery practice was featured in the cover article of the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association Journal, the organization’s monthly magazine. For more information about the green practices employed by Dr. Steven Koos and the staff at his Chicago Loop oral surgery practice, ORA® Oral Surgery & Implant Studio, visithttp://orasurgery.com or call 312-328-9000.
Online PR News – 13-September-2011 –Chicago, IL – Dr. Steven A. Koos, D.D.S., M.D., an oral surgeon specializing in oral surgery and jaw surgery in Chicago and owner of ORA® Oral Surgery & Implant Studio, is proud to announce his involvement with the Green Guide for Health Care (GGHC) as an Official Endorser of the GGHC. The Green Guide for Health Care is a comprehensive project from two organizations, Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) and the Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems (CMPBS), aimed at advancing the creation of high performance healing environments utilizing sustainable design, construction and operating practices within the healthcare industry.
The Green Guide for Health Care was created in 2002 and serves as a set of quantifiable standards and metrics for healthcare facilities and companies to adopt in an effort to create and operate more sustainable and high performing healing environments. The Green Guide serves as an invaluable tool providing protocols for the healthcare sector to utilize in order to create more eco-friendly facilities.
Not only do greener building and operating practices benefit the environment as a whole, but it has been shown that they benefit patients being treated within the healthcare facilities. According to Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chair of the U.S. Green Building Council, “Patients in green hospitals have greater emotional well-being, require less pain medication and other drugs, and have shorter hospital stays.” In addition, studies have shown increases in the productivity, health and happiness of those who live and work in green or sustainable buildings.
“We have chosen to both endorse the guidelines set by the Green Guide for Health Care and fully implement them, and we are committed to serving as a model for other healthcare professionals to create sustainable healthcare private practices,” explains Dr. Koos. “Our Chicago oral surgery facility was built according to LEED standards utilizing green building practices and sustainable materials and we are a registered GGHC healthcare project. We also have pledged to operate a mercury free practice and follow many other environmentally friendly operational practices. I believe this to be an obligation, rather than a choice when it comes to what is best for our patients, our staff and the environment.”
Dr. Koos’ oral surgery and jaw surgery practice in Chicago is a leader in eco-friendly dentistry®. In addition to endorsing the Green Guide for Health Care and LEED, the Chicago oral surgery practice has been designated as a GreenDoc™ Gold certified Charter Practice by the Eco-Dentistry Association, has received the “Partner for Change With Distinction” Award for Environmental Excellence during the annual international CleanMed conference, has committed to the Mercury-Free Health Care Campaign partnering with the World Health Organization, is an EPA Energy Star partner and is a member of the United States Green Building Council. Dr. Koos’ practice, offering oral surgery, jaw surgery and implant dentistry in Chicago, is the first fully green oral surgery facility in the country.
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Dr. Steven Koos and his Chicago oral surgery practice, ORA® Oral Surgery & Implant Studio, are committed to practicing sustainable dental surgery. They have infused green building practices, green operational protocols, and corporate social responsibility policies within their Chicago Loop oral surgery office, and have received many accolades within the Green Heath Care arena for their efforts. For more information about Dr. Koos’ Chicago oral surgery practice, visit http://orasurgery.com.
Dr. Steven A. Koos, D.D.S., M.D., a leading oral and maxillofacial surgeon in Chicago, Illinois, is pleased to announce the opening of the city’s first ‘green’ oral surgery practice.
Online PR News – 29-October-2010 –Chicago, IL – Dr. Steven A. Koos, D.D.S., M.D., a leading oral and maxillofacial surgeon in Chicago, Illinois, is pleased to announce the opening of the city’s first ‘green’ oral surgery practice. ORA Oral Surgery & Implant Studio®, the practice run by Dr. Koos, offers the benefits of eco-friendly design, technology and services in a luxurious patient-centered environment focused on overall wellness and comfort.
The Chicago oral surgery practice is located in the South Loop, in a rehabbed building designed according to standards and guidelines defined by two leading organizations in the green movement, the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) with their Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification program and the Green Guide for Healthcare (GGHC). From the interior design finishes chosen for the new Chicago South Loop oral surgery practice to the state-of-the-art equipment and medical systems selected to operate the practice, ORA Oral Surgery & Implant Studio has been designed to reduce the impact on the environment, while offering patients the ultimate in quality oral surgery care.
“ORA Oral Surgery & Implant Studio offers a cutting-edge approach to the practice of medicine and dentistry,” explains Dr. Koos. “We are focused on creating a healthy and comfortable environment to benefit our patients, while also providing a workplace that is productive and better for our own health. To that end, we have designed the facility with sustainable and eco-friendly materials, we utilize technology and practices that emit less radiation and potential toxins, we are powered entirely from renewable wind energy, and we have reduced our reliance on paper by computerizing all patient charts. Those are only a few of the ways we incorporate eco-consciousness into our surgical practice. Of course, quality dental and surgical care is our primary goal, but in the process, we believe it is important to create a modern and comfortable environment that is healthier for our patients and our team, and that diminishes our carbon footprint.”
ORA Oral Surgery & Implant Studio is Chicago’s first eco-friendly oral surgery practice and is leading the way in offering the perfect combination of premier medical and dental expertise, a patient-centered atmosphere and a commitment to limiting the practice’s impact on the environment. Dr. Koos is a member of an advocacy group of health professionals known as the Teleosis Institute, promoting the practice of sustainable medicine and sits on the advisory board of the Eco-Dentistry Association (EDA). He has also partnered with a number of eco-friendly organizations, including Health Care Without Harm, Practice GreenHealth, and the Mercury-Free Health Care Campaign (organized by the World Health Organization). ORA is an Energy Star partner with the EPA and is a member of the United States Green Building Council as well.
“The medical industry has had an eye towards eco-consciousness for a number of years, but the dental industry has lagged behind in ‘green’ pursuits,” says Dr. Koos. “As a health care professional that spans both the medical and dental communities, I am hoping to promote the importance of eco-friendly design and practices in Chicago dentistry and throughout the Midwest.”
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Dr. Steven Koos is an eco-friendly oral surgeon in Chicago. His practice, ORA Oral Surgery & Implant Studio, located in Chicago, offers a luxurious and comfortable patient-centered atmosphere with a focus towards exceptional health care and eco-consciousness. For more information about the Chicago oral surgeon and his unique South Loop oral surgery and implant practice, visit http://orasurgery.com.
Online PR News – 08-April-2013 –Chicago, IL – Dr. Steven Koos, an oral surgeon in Chicago, was recently featured in the cover story of the April 2013 issue of the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association Journal. The cover story, titled Operation Green – Implementing Sustainable And Eco-Friendly Practices In Your Surgery Center, showcases the environmentally responsible practices employed by the Chicago oral surgeon within his practice and ambulatory surgery center (ASC).
