Green hospitals
Hospitals Going Green
Filed in: Green Living
By Kat Vaughan
As a result of my Mom's recent battle with cancer, I've spent considerable time in hospitals contemplating many things, including how hospitals deals with waste, toxins and recycling. Although many hospitals have a long way to go, many are already committed to green business practices. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the Green Guide for Health Care (GGHC) joined forces to bring green business practices to the healthcare industry. According to Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair of USGBC, "Patients in green hospitals have greater emotional well-being, require less pain medication and other drugs, and have shorter hospital stays." Such findings are not surprising.
In September, USGBC and GGHC agreed to educational programs and other initiatives to promote the greening of health care systems. This is a very important and strategic step in addressing the issues of waste, recycling and more within the industry. By using natural cleaning products, plants that improve air quality, solar energy, natural light as much as possible, recycling, and reducing the amount of toxic wastes, green hospitals can make a significant impact. Clearly, green hospitals are good for the community, medical personnel, patients and visitors.
To identify the top environmentally friendly hospitals, The Green Guide followed the criteria of USGBC's LEED standards, The Green Guide for Health Care, and Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E). Indeed, any and all hospitals should be moving towards the following initiatives to better steward the earth's resources, while promoting better health for all:
1- Location: Was the hospital near or accessible to alternative transportation, utilizing storm water management, sited for urban redevelopment, and reducing its eco-footprint?
2- Water Reduction and Efficiency: Does the hospital use plants and landscaping in an ecologically friendly manner? Does it reduce water usage?
3- Air and Energy Pollution: How is the hospital reducing chlorofluorocarbon (CFC), utilizing renewable energy, reducing energy consumption, and exercising green power and reducing ozone?
4- Resources and Materials: Are recycled building materials, resources, local materials and/or certified wood used in the construction of the hospital?
5- Indoor Environmental Quality: How is the hospital improving its indoor air ventilation? Are they increasing ventilation and incorporating eco-friendly paints, adhesives and materials to avoid toxic fumes of toluene, formaldehyde and other carcinogenic compounds? Are they using any plants and natural lighting?
6- Organic, Healthy Hospital Food: Are fresh, local and organic foods served in the cafeteria and for the patients?
7- Green Education: Is there any instruction for employees regarding environmental best practices, including waste reduction, toxics reduction and recycling?
8- Procurement: Is the hospital using recycled paper, energy efficient equipment, water-efficient laundering, and/or other green products?
9- Contaminants: How is the company reducing toxins, such as mercury and PVC (both can leak toxic plasticizers into fluids of IV drip bags and tubing)?
10- Green and Natural Cleaning Products: Is the hospital using natural cleaning products, free of hazardous chemicals?
11- Waste reduction: Is the hospital segregating medical waste and reducing, re-using and recycling everything else like general waste, furniture, and equipment?
12- Healing Gardens: Is there a garden where patients, employees and visitors can sit and enjoy fresh air and the beauty of nature? Are native plants used to reduce water usage and the use of pesticides?
Winners for The Green Guide's Top 10 Green Hospitals at a Glance:
• Boulder Community Hospital Foothills Campus (Boulder, CO)
• Bronson Methodist Hospital (Kalamazoo, MI)
• Kaiser Permanente (headquarters in Oakland, CA)
• Laguna Honda Replacement Hospital and Rehabilitation Center (San Francisco, CA)
• Legacy Health System Salmon Creek Hospital (Vancouver, WA)
• Mount Sinai Medical Center's Lauder Center for Maternity Care (New York, NY)
• Patrick H. Dollard Discovery Health Center (Harris, NY)
• Providence Newberg Hospital (Newberg, OR)
• Sarkis Gabrellian Women's and Children’s Pavilion at Hackensack University Medical Center (Hackensack, NJ)
• Emory University's Winship Cancer Institute (Atlanta, GA)
RUNNERS UP
For waste reduction, recycling and re-use:
• Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (Lebanon, NH)
• Sparrow Health System (Lansing, MI)
• University of Michigan Hospital and Health Centers (Ann Arbor, MI)
For green building:
• Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA)
• Concord Hospital (Concord, NH)
• Mercy Suburban Hospital (Norristown, PA)
For fresh, local and organic hospital food:
• St. Luke's Hospital (Duluth, MN)
• Good Shepherd Health Care System (Hermiston, OR)
• Allen Memorial Hospital (Waterloo, IA)
• Duke University Medical Center (Durham, NC)
• Fletcher Allen Medical Center (Burlington, VT)
It's great to see so many hospitals consider the well-being of a patient and how to to steward the earth. Indeed, I look forward to the time when green hospitals are not an exception, but the rule.
As a result of my Mom's recent battle with cancer, I've spent considerable time in hospitals contemplating many things, including how hospitals deals with waste, toxins and recycling. Although many hospitals have a long way to go, many are already committed to green business practices. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the Green Guide for Health Care (GGHC) joined forces to bring green business practices to the healthcare industry. According to Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair of USGBC, "Patients in green hospitals have greater emotional well-being, require less pain medication and other drugs, and have shorter hospital stays." Such findings are not surprising.
In September, USGBC and GGHC agreed to educational programs and other initiatives to promote the greening of health care systems. This is a very important and strategic step in addressing the issues of waste, recycling and more within the industry. By using natural cleaning products, plants that improve air quality, solar energy, natural light as much as possible, recycling, and reducing the amount of toxic wastes, green hospitals can make a significant impact. Clearly, green hospitals are good for the community, medical personnel, patients and visitors.
To identify the top environmentally friendly hospitals, The Green Guide followed the criteria of USGBC's LEED standards, The Green Guide for Health Care, and Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E). Indeed, any and all hospitals should be moving towards the following initiatives to better steward the earth's resources, while promoting better health for all:
1- Location: Was the hospital near or accessible to alternative transportation, utilizing storm water management, sited for urban redevelopment, and reducing its eco-footprint?
2- Water Reduction and Efficiency: Does the hospital use plants and landscaping in an ecologically friendly manner? Does it reduce water usage?
3- Air and Energy Pollution: How is the hospital reducing chlorofluorocarbon (CFC), utilizing renewable energy, reducing energy consumption, and exercising green power and reducing ozone?
4- Resources and Materials: Are recycled building materials, resources, local materials and/or certified wood used in the construction of the hospital?
5- Indoor Environmental Quality: How is the hospital improving its indoor air ventilation? Are they increasing ventilation and incorporating eco-friendly paints, adhesives and materials to avoid toxic fumes of toluene, formaldehyde and other carcinogenic compounds? Are they using any plants and natural lighting?
6- Organic, Healthy Hospital Food: Are fresh, local and organic foods served in the cafeteria and for the patients?
7- Green Education: Is there any instruction for employees regarding environmental best practices, including waste reduction, toxics reduction and recycling?
8- Procurement: Is the hospital using recycled paper, energy efficient equipment, water-efficient laundering, and/or other green products?
9- Contaminants: How is the company reducing toxins, such as mercury and PVC (both can leak toxic plasticizers into fluids of IV drip bags and tubing)?
10- Green and Natural Cleaning Products: Is the hospital using natural cleaning products, free of hazardous chemicals?
11- Waste reduction: Is the hospital segregating medical waste and reducing, re-using and recycling everything else like general waste, furniture, and equipment?
12- Healing Gardens: Is there a garden where patients, employees and visitors can sit and enjoy fresh air and the beauty of nature? Are native plants used to reduce water usage and the use of pesticides?
Winners for The Green Guide's Top 10 Green Hospitals at a Glance:
• Boulder Community Hospital Foothills Campus (Boulder, CO)
• Bronson Methodist Hospital (Kalamazoo, MI)
• Kaiser Permanente (headquarters in Oakland, CA)
• Laguna Honda Replacement Hospital and Rehabilitation Center (San Francisco, CA)
• Legacy Health System Salmon Creek Hospital (Vancouver, WA)
• Mount Sinai Medical Center's Lauder Center for Maternity Care (New York, NY)
• Patrick H. Dollard Discovery Health Center (Harris, NY)
• Providence Newberg Hospital (Newberg, OR)
• Sarkis Gabrellian Women's and Children’s Pavilion at Hackensack University Medical Center (Hackensack, NJ)
• Emory University's Winship Cancer Institute (Atlanta, GA)
RUNNERS UP
For waste reduction, recycling and re-use:
• Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (Lebanon, NH)
• Sparrow Health System (Lansing, MI)
• University of Michigan Hospital and Health Centers (Ann Arbor, MI)
For green building:
• Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA)
• Concord Hospital (Concord, NH)
• Mercy Suburban Hospital (Norristown, PA)
For fresh, local and organic hospital food:
• St. Luke's Hospital (Duluth, MN)
• Good Shepherd Health Care System (Hermiston, OR)
• Allen Memorial Hospital (Waterloo, IA)
• Duke University Medical Center (Durham, NC)
• Fletcher Allen Medical Center (Burlington, VT)
It's great to see so many hospitals consider the well-being of a patient and how to to steward the earth. Indeed, I look forward to the time when green hospitals are not an exception, but the rule.
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