Community

Spectrum Health United Hospital Recognized with National Partner for Change Award

“Formally Acknowledged for Pollution Prevention Program”

Spectrum Health United Hospital was awarded the 2013 “Partner for Change” Award by Practice Greenhealth, the nation’s leading health care membership community that empowers its members to increase their efficiencies and environmental stewardship while improving patient safety and care. The Award is one of the organization’s Environmental Excellence Awards given each year to honor outstanding environmental achievements in the health care sector.

The Partner for Change Award recognizes health care facilities that continuously improve and expand upon their mercury elimination, waste reduction, recycling and source reduction programs. At a minimum, facilities applying for this Award must be recycling 15 percent of their total waste, have reduced regulated medical waste, are well along the way to mercury elimination, and have developed other successful pollution prevention programs in many different areas.

“This award proves that Spectrum Health United Hospital is committed to eliminating mercury, reducing waste, recycling and preventing pollution, among other environmentally preferable practices,” said Laura Wenger, RN, Executive Director, Practice Greenhealth. “Practice Greenhealth is pleased to recognize them for these efforts.”

As evidenced in a recent Health Care Research Collaborative study, “Can Sustainable Hospitals Help Bend the Health Care Cost Curve?” introducing environmental sustainability measures in hospitals not only results in significant savings, it won’t increase operating costs.  The implications are clear — given the return on investment, all hospitals should adopt and expand their sustainability programs.

“We are proud to positively impact our environment” said Tina Freese-Decker, President, Spectrum Health United and Kelsey Hospitals. “Our sustainability efforts have enabled United Hospital to be better stewards of our resources, environment and costs, all in an effort to provide better value and high quality care for our patients.”

The Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellence Awards were presented in Boston, MA, at CleanMed, THE premier national environmental conference for leaders in health care sustainability.

Spectrum Health is a not-for-profit health system in West Michigan offering a full continuum of care through the Spectrum Health Hospital Group, which is comprised of nine hospitals including Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital; 130 ambulatory and service sites; the Spectrum Health Medical Group and West Michigan Heart, physician groups totaling 751 providers; and Priority Health, a health plan with 600,000 members. Spectrum Health is West Michigan’s largest employer with 19,100 employees. The organization provided $204 million in community benefit during its 2012 fiscal year.

About Practice Greenhealth
Practice Greenhealth is the nation’s leading membership and networking organization for institutions in the health care community that have made a commitment to sustainable, eco-friendly practices. For more information on Practice Greenhealth, visit www.practicegreenhealth.org.