Date of Conferral
10-27-2026
Date of Award
October 2026
Degree
Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)
School
Management
Advisor
Rilla Hynes
Abstract
Hospitals generate large volumes of costly, often recyclable medical waste. Hospital supply chain and procurement leaders who lack effective recycling strategies are confronted with higher operational costs and increased environmental burdens. Grounded in stakeholder theory and dynamic capabilities theory, this qualitative pragmatic inquiry aimed to identify and explore effective strategies used by hospital supply chain and procurement leaders to recycle medical equipment and supplies, reduce waste, and lower operational costs. The participants were 10 hospital supply chain and procurement leaders who had implemented recycling strategies, including repair, reuse, redeployment, and reprocessing practices. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and publicly available documents. Thematic analysis was used to identify four themes: (a) life-cycle asset management strategies; (b) repair and reprocessing strategies; (c) strategies for addressing barriers to circular practices, and (d) governance and process improvement strategies. A key recommendation is for healthcare supply chain and procurement leaders to establish life‑cycle asset governance that integrates repair‑first policies and reprocessing evaluations into capital planning and procurement, and to support reporting on cost and waste performance. The implications for positive social change included potential reductions in environmental burdens associated with healthcare waste and strengthened hospitals' contributions to environmentally responsible, socially responsive communities.
Recommended Citation
Goldsmith, Vanessa, "Breaking Down Barriers for Healthcare Recycling" (2026). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 20963.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/20963
