Collecting, tracking, storing, and managing health information online is all well and good. SMR improves communication, compliance, efficiency and emergency preparedness, and that’s all just peachy. But there’s this too – SMR allows health centers to go green.

Going green isn’t just about being trendy – although it is trendy, and people seemingly throw the phrase around at the drop of a hat. But it’s more than that. Going green is about doing our part to take care of the earth, the world around us, and improve our lives, neighbors’ lives, and the lives of generations to come. Not to mention, hugging a tree can be fun, and who doesn’t want to preserve the ability to have fun for future generations? 

Schools can be at the forefront of that movement by educating children on the importance of the environment, getting them involved in the process, and making the school as green as possible. I’m not suggesting we do away with paper all-together. Not at all. Paper is essential at times, and it can be recycled!

The problem with the health center recycling paper is that health information can quickly be spread to unauthorized personnel if just dropped in a bin. Health information can’t be thrown out with the morning paper or yesterday’s post-its. Health information must be kept secure, and the best way to keep it secure, ensure its accessibility, and eliminate reams of paper, cabinets of folders, and charts out the wazoo, is to go digital. Going green in the health center is simple, and we can tell you how to do it.

However, implementing green actions school-wide may prove more difficult. Below are a few thoughts to encourage green initiatives in other school departments and classrooms.

• Walk and bike to school: It’s fun and you can encourage healthier habits
• Scholastic: 10 Ways to Go Green at School
• Recycling calculator: Calculate how individual and community recycling adds up
• DoSomething.org: 11 Facts About Recycling
• How to Go Green: School Teachers