VA Maryland Health Care System Recognized with Practice Greenhealth – Greenhealth Partner for Change Award

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This competitive award recognizes outstanding hospitals and is focused on advanced sustainability programs and exemplary scores in a range of categories.

“Thanks to the efforts of our Green Environmental Management System [GEMS] team and almost every service throughout the VA Maryland Health Care System, we have been awarded for superior performance in environmental sustainability for a variety of programs and activities,” said Jonathan R. Eckman, P.E., director of the VA Maryland Health Care System. “This award demonstrates our commitment to a system-wide commitment to lessen the environmental impact of our organization, while continuing to provide safe, quality and compassionate care to Maryland’s Veterans.”

The health care system’s array of environmental sustainability actions that are recognized by this award include a robust recycling and composting program by Nutrition & Food Service at the Perry Point VA Medical Center. Also at Perry Point, the health care system created a solar panel farm that has generated 333 kilowatts of renewable energy. A single stream recycling program throughout the health care system allowed it to divert 159.1 tons of waste from landfills. And any new construction designs must be reviewed by an energy engineer for its energy efficiency. An array of other programs that focus on environmental sustainability are already in place or are in process, such as the health care system’s goal to recycle all anesthetic gasses used in operating rooms.

Winners of the Greenhealth Partner for Change Award have also made substantive progress on mercury elimination.

Practice Greenhealth is the leading membership and networking organization for sustainable health care organizations that includes hospitals and health care systems, health care providers, manufacturers and service providers, architectural, engineering and design firms, group purchasing organizations, academic institutions, and affiliated nonprofit organizations.