UVM Medical Center’s new practice has environmental perks

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - A new practice at UVM Medical Center puts patients at ease efficiently.

Hospital officials say it’s the same level of care with a big environmental bonus.

If you’ve had a medical procedure at UVMMC, there’s a chance you were given nitrous oxide. The gas, used for pain management, was a potent pollutant at the hospital - until now.

Anesthesiologist Paige Georgiadis opens a tank of nitrous oxide.

“It’s being used somewhere in the hospital most times,” said Georgiadis.

She used to access the gas from a port in the wall -- connected to pipes that snake back to the central plant.

Now, she taps directly into an e-cylinder, or a self-contained tank of nitrous oxide attached to an anesthesia machine.

“This is a really easy win that, without affecting patient care at