UVM Medical Center Among “Greenest” Hospitals in the Nation
Recognized for recycling, commuting program and local partnerships.
The University of Vermont Medical Center is one of only twenty-five hospitals in the country being recognized for “Environmental Excellence” by Practice Greenhealth, a leading national advocate for sustainable practices in health care. UVM Medical Center and other winners were lauded for addressing the links between the environment and human health, using data to demonstrate successes, and showing leadership in their local communities and across the health care sector. In addition, the UVM Medical Center’s Fanny Allen campus was given the “Emerald Award” for its outstanding sustainability programs.
The UVM Medical Center has been recognized by Practice Greenhealth and other national organizations for many years for its commitment to environmentally responsible practices, such as the initiatives below that led to this year’s Environmental Excellence Award:
- Employees used alternative transportation (walking, car sharing, biking) to drive 1.6 million fewer miles in 2017 than the previous year.
- Operating Room Specialists recycled nearly nine tons of “blue wrap” which is used to keep surgical instruments sterile.
- UVM Medical Center recently joined Burlington 2030, a local partnership that aims to cut transportation emissions, energy use, and water consumption by 50% by 2030.
“We are proud Practice Greenhealth has honored us again for our sustainability efforts,” said Dawn LeBaron, vice president of Hospital Services. “There is so much valuable, multi-disciplinary work from across the organization that goes into our sustainability accomplishments for the benefit of our patients, families, employees and community.”
To learn more, visit the Environmental Leadership section of the UVM Medical Center website. It includes information on programs devoted to serving healthy food, reducing waste, and limiting the use of chemicals.
About Practice Greenhealth
Practice Greenhealth is the source for environmental solutions for the healthcare sector and lends support to create better, safer, greener workplaces and communities. Practice Greenhealth is a nonprofit membership organization founded on the principles of positive environmental stewardship and best practices by organizations in the healthcare community. Visit https://practicegreenhealth.org for more information.
About the University of Vermont Medical Center
The University of Vermont Medical Center is a 447-bed tertiary care regional referral center providing advanced care to approximately 1 million residents in Vermont and northern New York. Together with our partners at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, we are Vermont’s academic medical center. The University of Vermont Medical Center also serves as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.
The University of Vermont Medical Center is a member of The University of Vermont Health Network, an integrated system established to deliver high quality academic medicine to every community we serve.
For more information visit our Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and blog sites at UVMHealth.org/MedCenterSocialMedia.