Gary Cohen
Bio
Interview with Gary Cohen
August 6, 2019
Conducted by Katherine Hummel
Clips
6:15 - 7:52
Gary talks about how Healthcare Without Harm got started and how important Tracey Easthope was throughout all the work that they did. #HCWH #toxics #medicalincinerators
8:07 - 9:14
Gary recalls the fight against Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit to get their medical waste incinerator shut down. #incinerators #HCWH #toxics #medicalwaste #medicalincinerator
12:10 - 14:49
Gary talks about why the fight against Henry Ford was so successful and how they had more leverage against the medical industry than others due to their focus on health and healing. #toxics #HCWH #incinerators #medicalwasteincinerators
16:03 - 17:20
Gary discusses the approach that they took with hospitals and how they didn't blame them, but instead tried to work with them and offer solutions.
#toxics #HCWH #incinerators #medicalwasteincinerators
26:22 - 28:44
Gary talks about the hostility they faced from the American Hospital Association, how they worked together on Hospitals for a Healthy Environment, and then how Practice Green Health got started when President Bush shut down Hospitals for a Healthy Environment. #toxics #HCWH #incinerators #medicalwasteincinerators #HospitalsforaHealtgyEnvironment #PracticeGreenHealth #AHA
36:53 - 40:33
Gary talks about a meeting he attended with Baxter and Abbott manufacturers as well as faith based shareholders where they were able to get them to commit to making a line of PVC-free medical products. When they didn't follow through with their promise, Catholic Healthcare West pulled their contract with Baxter. #toxics #HCWH #shareholders #coalition #PVC
44:20 - 45:42
Gary discusses the impact the Ecology Center has had with toxics in the medical industry and how they have encouraged the medical industry to use their market power to phase out toxic products.
#HCWH #incinerators #medicalwasteincinerators #toxics
47:47 - 48:31
Gary talks about how the Ecology Center's citizen science has been extremely impactful because they can expose what chemicals are in certain products. #citizenscience #healthystuff #toxics #HCWH
49:06 - 50:12
Gary discusses the work the Ecology Center has been doing recently with the UN to create globally validated standards for environmentally friendly medical products. #toxics #EcologyCenter