Lebanon VAMC Receives National Award for Achievements in Sustainability

The award is one of the Environmental Excellence Awards given each year to honor environmental achievements in the health care sector. This is the 7th year in a row Lebanon VAMC has been granted the award.

The Partner for Change Award recognizes health care facilities that continuously improve and expand upon programs to eliminate mercury, reduce and recycle waste, source products sustainably, and more. Winning facilities must demonstrate that they are recycling at least 15 percent of their total waste, have reduced regulated medical waste, are on track to eliminate mercury, and have developed successful sustainability programs in many areas.

Lebanon VAMC currently recycles 58 percent of waste generated, partners with services within the hospital to use greener products and actively works to implement green designs on new engineering and construction projects. Lebanon VAMC also created a Green Environmental Management System (GEMS) committee to actively explore sustainability programs at the facility.

“As health care providers, sustainability is at the core of our healing mission and central to protecting the health of our patients, staff and community,” said acting medical center director Margaret G. Wilson, “We take pride in our sustainability programs and the positive impacts they have on the environment and the communities we serve.”

The Lebanon VA Medical Center is one of 170 medical centers in the nation with the sole purpose of providing world-class medical care to America’s Veterans. Lebanon VAMC serves a nine-county area in South Central Pennsylvania covering Adams, Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, Schuylkill and York counties. Lebanon VAMC also oversees community clinics located in Mechanicsburg, Pottsville, Willow Street, Wyomissing and York. If you are Veteran, you may be eligible to receive care and benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. To learn more, call 717-228-6000.

For more information about the Lebanon VA Medical Center, visit www.va.gov/lebanon-health-care, like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/VALebanon, or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/VALebanon.

Practice Greenhealth is the nation’s leading health care community dedicated to transforming health care worldwide so that it reduces its environmental footprint, becomes a community anchor for sustainability and a leader in the global movement for environmental health and justice. To learn more about Practice Greenhealth visit www.practicegreenhealth.org.

Ryan M. Stubblebine, Public Affairs Specialist

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