Environmental requirements related to patient care and the team working to ensure compliance

Healthcare providers are often surprised that regulations promulgated by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) apply to patient care settings. Many find it strange that processes meant to heal have the potential to harm human health and the environment, and are, therefore, regulated by federal and state environmental agencies. The importance of compliance is emphasized by the fact that both the EPA and individual state agencies have the authority to impose civil and criminal penalties if they discover violations. The Joint Commission considers compliance important enough to include it as an element of performance in the Environment of Care standard.