Tools and resources

Sustainability within Rural Hospitals: Mercy Hospital Lebanon

• Energy

Mercy Hospital Lebanon leaders and co-workers have worked to overcome challenges and implemented successful sustainability practices to reduce environmental impacts and reduce operational costs. Through a cost-effective retro-commissioning project focused on its heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, the facility was able to reduce energy consumption by 23 percent, with savings…

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Data 101 webinar series

• Webinar
• Data
• Awards
• Greenhealth Academy

The Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellence Awards is more than an awards program – it’s an opportunity to capture data on environmental quality improvement progress within hospitals and health systems.  Data is power. It has the power to demonstrate a return on investment. It has the power to implement positive change. When submitted through Practice Greenhealth’s Environmental Excellence…

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Leaner energy fact sheet

• Energy
• Guide

The Practice Greenhealth leaner energy framework challenges hospitals to meet the baseline objective and take on three goals to help hospitals protect people from the harm of pollution stemming from energy use. The goals were selected for their positive impact on human health and the environment, as well as their potential to drive increased energy-efficient equipment and services in the…

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Anne Arundel Medical Center: Construction debris

• Case Study

As a component of an application to apply for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for a new construction project, Anne Arundel Medical Center, a regional health system headquartered in Annapolis, Md., set a goal to achieve a 50 to 75 percent diversion rate of demolition and construction debris. The medical center enrolled in our Less Waste Challenge and set a goal…

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Greenhealth Cost of Ownership toolkit

• Cost of Ownership
• Toolkit
• Sustainable procurement

The Greehealth Cost of Ownership Calculator is designed to support looking at costs beyond the price tag, to evaluate hidden expenses, such as energy and waste costs, and other operational costs of using a product allowing more informed decision-making based on the full costs to an organization. Below you will find the calculator as well as helpful training and support materials. For hospitals…

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Transportation: Supply Chain Options to Reduce the Impacts from Freight

• EPP
• EPP Resource

Supply Chain Options to Reduce the Impacts from Freight Purchasing Guidance - Specs/RFP Questions to ask Freight Carriers to Reduce Fuel Emissions Hospital/GPO: Consider the resource above when purchasing distribution services and other contracts where products or services are delivered to hospitals. EPA's SmartWay Program provides an opportunity for hospitals, who ship and receive items…

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Leaner Energy: Background

• Climate and Health
• Leaner Energy

Background Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration illustrates that buildings are responsible for almost half of the energy consumed and 38 percent of all GHG emissions in the United States. According to the EPA, inpatient health care ranks as the second largest commercial energy user after the food service industry. The US Department of Energy notes that hospital energy costs rose…

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Health Care & climate change: An opportunity for transformative leadership

• Climate and Health
• Leadership
• White Paper

(Health Care Without Harm) The reversal of climate change will pivot around fundamental realignments in the ways that energy is created and consumed. The report provides detailed guidelines and case studies to help hospital leaders and facilities’ staff develop comprehensive strategies to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels through the use of “clean technology.” Its overarching conclusion is…

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Purchasing fuel-efficient vehicles, Department of Energy

• Transportation
• Fleet Vehicles

(Department of Energy) Choosing a more efficient vehicle?  Thinking about buying a new vehicle?  Fueleconomy.gov has gas mileage estimates and other information for cars from the current model year back to 1984. Selecting which vehicle to purchase is the most important fuel economy decision you'll make. The difference between a car that gets 20 MPG and one that gets 30 MPG amounts to $612 per…

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Supply chain options to reduce the impacts from freight

• Transportation
• Suppliers and Deliveries
• Tool

The SmartWay Transport Partnership is a voluntary collaboration between EPA and the freight industry designed to increase energy efficiency while significantly reducing greenhouse gases and air pollution. SmartWay Transport Partners lead the way towards a cleaner, more efficient transportation future by adopting fuel-saving strategies that increase profits and reduce emissions. The program…

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