DOWNERS GROVE – Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital is among the 25 most “green” hospitals in the country, according to the nation’s leading health care environmental stewardship organization.
Practice Greenhealth’s Top 25 Environmental Excellence Awards are new in 2014 and recognize facilities that are setting the highest standards for environmental practices in health care. Winners are chosen from hospitals that have the highest scores for the Greenhealth Emerald Award, using Practice Greenhealth’s scoring and evaluation system.
“Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital is honored to be recognized as one of the top 25 sustainable hospitals in the country,” said Laura Neiberg, Vice President of Ancillary Services and Community Health. “This honor would not be possible without the leadership and commitment of our green team members and all of our Good Samaritan associates.”
Good Samaritan Hospital has made major advances in reducing energy consumption and is in the process of reducing its energy use by 20 percent by 2015. Steps taken to reach goal include: installing programmable thermostats, insulating hot water wipes and refrigeration lines, replacing incandescent bulbs with LED lighting, auditing the on-site energy use, and replacing its 38-year-old chiller plant with dual-stage high-efficiency models that cool most of the 1.07-million square-foot hospital. Last year, the hospital created a native wetlands area to improve storm water runoff while providing a place for local students to study the environment.
“We are so proud to have earned this prestigious award,” said Cindy Keith, green team leader and quality improvement/safety analyst at Good Samaritan Hospital. “We push our sustainability practices to the limit because we want to demonstrate leadership in the health care sector and our community.”
While the 25 hospitals presented with Practice Greenhealth’s highest honors vary greatly in size, they are all leading the country in health care sustainability and have the data and documentation to prove their success. All facilities considered have innovative programs and show leadership in their local communities and in the health care sector. Good Samaritan Hospital was one of 250 hospitals that applied for Partner for a Change, putting Good Samaritan in the top 10 percent.
In addition, Good Samaritan Hospital was specifically recognized as being one of the top 10 in the country for leadership in environmental stewardship.
The Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellence Awards were presented in Cleveland, Ohio, June 5 at the CleanMed Conference & Exhibition.
About Practice Greenhealth: Practice Greenhealth is the nation’s leading health care community that empowers its members to increase their efficiencies and environmental stewardship while improving patient safety and care through tools, best practices and knowledge. To learn more about Practice Greenhealth visit www.practicegreenhealth.org.