Awards, Spectrum Health West Michigan

Corewell Health™ has Earned 2022 Distinction Through the Tree Campus Healthcare Program for the Fourth Consecutive Year

Corewell Health aims to integrate the healing benefits of trees by planting and maintaining trees on its health care campus and in the community

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., April 10, 2023 – The Arbor Day Foundation has named Spectrum Health Butterworth and Blodgett Hospitals, part of Corewell Health, as a Tree Campus Healthcare institution for showing its understanding of the vital role trees play in human health. This is the fourth consecutive year Blodgett Hospital earned this designation and the first for Butterworth Hospital.

The Arbor Day Foundation is the world’s largest membership nonprofit organization dedicated to planting trees. Its Tree Campus Healthcare program aims to transform community health and wellness and ultimately save lives through the health benefits provided by trees, as well as recognize healthcare institutions that make an impact on wellness through tree planting, education and community engagement.

“Spending time in green space has been proven to better health outcomes and reduce stress for staff and caretakers,” said Dan Lambe, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “We’re proud of Corewell Health for going above and beyond to provide these benefits to their community.”

To receive Tree Campus Healthcare recognition, Butterworth and Blodgett hospitals met five program standards: maintaining a tree advisory committee, having a facility tree care plan, completing a community forestry project, educating the community on the importance of trees and investing in a campus tree program.

“Our tree canopies not only provide an element to our environmental sustainability efforts, but also provide health and healing environments for our patients,” said Tom Koprowski, plant operations manager at Corewell Health. “Tree Campus Health Care is an initiative that our health system is proud to collaborate and celebrate with and helps provide us with an avenue to further our environmental sustainability awareness and efforts.”

Tree Campus Healthcare strives to improve human health outcomes by connecting inpatient healthcare facilities of all sizes with local community forestry programs, while improving the extent and condition of the community forest. Facilities in the U.S. delivering inpatient healthcare services are eligible for Tree Campus Healthcare recognition, including hospitals, senior care and other residential rehabilitation properties.

 

About the Arbor Day Foundation

Founded in 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation is the world’s largest membership nonprofit organization dedicated to planting trees. With a focus in communities and forests of greatest need, the Foundation — alongside its more than 1 million members, supporters and valued partners — has helped to plant nearly 500 million trees in more than 50 countries. Guided by its mission to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees, the Arbor Day Foundation is committed to unlocking the power of trees to help solve critical issues facing people and the planet. Learn more about the impact of the Arbor Day Foundation at arborday.org.

 

About Corewell Health
People are at the heart of everything we do, and the inspiration for our legacy of outstanding outcomes, innovation, strong community partnerships, philanthropy and transparency. Corewell Health is a not-for-profit health system that provides health care and coverage with an exceptional team of 60,000+ dedicated people—including more than 11,500 physicians and advanced practice providers and more than 15,000 nurses providing care and services in 22 hospitals, 300+ outpatient locations and several post-acute facilities—and Priority Health, a provider-sponsored health plan serving more than 1.2 million members. Through experience and collaboration, we are reimagining a better, more equitable model of health and wellness. For more information, visit corewellhealth.org.

 

 

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Contact:
Andrea Finnigan
Media Relations and Newsroom Web Manager
Office: 616.486.2535
Mobile: 616.293.6050
Email: andrea.finnigan@corewellhealth.org