Practice Greenhealth

Tools and resources

Best Practices in energy efficiency

  • Best Practices
  • Energy
  • Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency can enhance human health by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving outdoor air quality and decreasing acid rain. The energy needed to run commercial and industrial buildings in the United States produces 19 percent of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions, 12 percent of nitrogen oxides, and 25 percent of sulfur dioxide, at a cost of $110 billion a year. The health care sector is…

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Energy efficiency in the OR: HVAC setback checklist

  • Greening the Operating Room
  • Tool
  • Checklist
Use this worksheet to identify key stakeholders and plan for and implement an HVAC setback program that meets your needs. Suggested key departments are listed with topics that could be used to aid in discussion. Some questions or factors may not be realized unless the conversation is started. There is no one-size-fits-all solution—each facility and team is unique and needs a program that meets…

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Environmental Protection Agents at Ridgeview Medical Center

  • Employees Case Study
  • Ridgeview Medical Center
  • Case Study
  • Energy Case Study
  • Toolkit
(Employee engagement toolkit) In 2012, Ridgeview started to implement a number of energy efficiency projects. Concurrently, the team started to analyze employee behavior as it relates to energy usage. The mindset is health care is a 24/7 operation, but not every space operates that way. This allowed Ridgeview to create a list of low- and no-cost actions for employees to help with energy…

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Case study

Suggested Environmental Considerations for Maintenance, Repair and Operations (MRO) Equipment and Supplies

  • Supply Chain
  • Guide
  • Suppliers and Deliveries
  • Purchasing
Green maintenance and operations products can improve indoor air quality, reduce the use of water and other natural resources and increase energy efficiency. Since there are thousands of products used in maintenance, repair and operations, it is important for purchasers to understand which types of environmental claims are credible. This guide contains some suggested environmental questions for…

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Providence St. Peter Hospital: Energy efficiency in the OR

  • Greening the Operating Room
  • Energy Efficiency
  • Case Study
  • Greening the Operating Room Case Study
  • Providence St. Peter Hospital
Providence Health System has been focusing for several years on how to rein in its energy use across the system. The system has benchmarked through Energy Star and has a corporate director of sustainability who works with individual facilities to set energy efficiency targets and goals.

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Sustainability Climate – Pledges Supported by Virginia Mason

  • Policy
  • Exemplary Document
  • Virginia Mason
As the front line stewards of individual and community health, hospitals are in a unique position to address climate change. In addition to making impactful and measurable progress in their own operations to address climate change, hospitals must work towards accelerating investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency; scaling the adoption of climate change mitigation and resiliency…

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Sustainability Strategic Plan University Hospitals 2016

  • Engaged Leadership
  • Exemplary Document
  • University Hospitals
  • Report
  • Policy
In 2016, the University Hospitals Office of Sustainability will continue to build upon its strong foundation of existing priorities while also seeking out new collaborative system opportunities that align cost savings, human wellness, public health and environmental stewardship.  Emphasis in 2016 will be placed on programs that support energy efficiency, sustainable food provision, healthier…

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NorthShore University HealthSystem water reduction case study

  • Water
  • NorthShore University HealthSystem
  • Case Study
  • Toolkit
(Less water toolkit) NorthShore University HealthSystem (NorthShore) implemented an enterprise approach to cooling water management. This increased operational efficiency by 5.5 percent and resulted in ~1.2 MM gallons of water saved and $8,175 dollars in annual savings. In addition, energy efficiency and organizational communication were improved. The program has a simple payback of 22 months.

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Energy Efficiency Financing for Hospitals

  • Energy
  • Leaner Energy
  • Guide
Most hospitals recognize that there are substantial opportunities to reduce energy use in their facilities that are cost-effective on a life-cycle basis. The challenge is that hospital budgets are generally tight and therefore funding the up-front capital to make energy-efficiency investments can be difficult. Fortunately, there are a variety of financing arrangements that hospitals can consider…

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Virginia Mason Medical Center energy and water efficiency master plan

  • Exemplary Document
  • Energy
  • Water
  • Engaged Leadership
In August 2014, Virginia Mason Medical Center (VMMC) engaged McKinstry to create a long-term energy and water use reduction master plan focused on their downtown campus. The overarching goal during the development of the plan was to provide a roadmap and multi-year action plan for how VMMC can reduce energy and water use to achieve the 2030 Seattle District energy goals. This is an opportunity to…

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Practice Greenhealth is the health care sector’s go-to source for information, tools, data, resources, and expert technical support on sustainability initiatives that help hospitals and health systems meet their health, financial, and community goals.

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Who We Are

Practice Greenhealth is the leading sustainable health care organization, delivering environmental solutions to more than 1,700 hospitals and health systems in the United States and Canada. Partnership opportunities include hospitals, health systems, community health organizations, NGOs, nonprofits, government, academic institutions, and the health care value chain.