Bay Pines VA Earns National Recognition for Environmental Performance

This announcement marks the seventh time in eight years Bay Pines VA has earned recognition from Practice Greenhealth.

“We are proud to earn this recognition from the nation’s premier program dedicated to environmental performance in health care,” said Bay Pines VA Associate Director Sean Turner. “As a 2024 honoree, this award celebrates our professionals for their commitment to environmental stewardship and impact toward creating sustainable achievements.”

Bay Pines VA Green Environmental Management Systems (GEMS) Coordinator Justin Carman, who works within Safety, and Bay Pines VA Supervisory Environmental Protection Specialist Dawn Hassell, who serves within Facilities Management Service, lead environmental efforts and were responsible for the coordination and evaluation of multiple projects, in partnership with leaders and other service areas across the organization. 

The annual awards consider efforts by healthcare organizations in the following categories:

• Buildings 
• Chemicals 
• Climate and health 
• Energy 
• Engaged leadership 
• Food 
• Operating room 
• Sustainable procurement
• Transportation
• Water
• Waste

Some of the actions completed by the organization over the past year include procurement of environmentally friendly items such as new dryers in the laundry facility that are sensor-based instead of time-based machines, using more fuel-efficient transportation such as hybrids and electrical vehicles, adding solar panels, and establishing electrical vehicle charging stations. 

“The work we do every day across our organization is done with one goal in mind – to provide Veterans with the safest, welcoming environment to receive the soonest and best health care possible,” added Turner. “Our success, for nearly a decade reflects that commitment and is one of the many reasons more than 105,000 Veterans in southwest Florida continue to choose bay Pines VA as their healthcare system of choice.”

For additional information on this release:  Contact Bay Pines VA Healthcare System’s Public Affairs Officer Rob Frazier at Robert.Frazier1@va.gov or 727-317-8120. See the latest news, stories, and Veteran health care information available on our official website or our official social media account.

About Bay Pines VA Healthcare System
Bay Pines VA Healthcare System, is one of the nation’s largest 1a tertiary healthcare facilities, caring for more than 105,000 Veterans residing across ten counties, in the southwest region of Florida. Our healthcare system includes nine facilities: C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center, located in Bay Pines, Lee County VA Healthcare Center, located in Cape Coral, and seven VA community-based outpatient clinics located in Bradenton, Naples, North Pinellas, Port Charlotte, Sarasota, St. Petersburg, and Sebring, Florida. We employ more than 4,500 health care professionals, are accredited by The Joint Commission and more than 10 additional accreditation and certification organizations. Learn more at: VA Bay Pines Health Care | Veterans Affairs.

Michael Brock, Public Affairs Specialist

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