Dignity Health Inland Empire Hospitals Honored for Environmental Sustainability at CleanMed2016
Hospitals Formally Recognized for Commitment to Environmental Excellence
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif., May 20, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Dignity Health's two Inland Empire Hospitals, Community Hospital of San Bernardino and St. Bernardine Medical Center, have been awarded the 2016 "Partner Recognition Award" from Practice Greenhealth, the nation's leader in the global movement for environmental health and justice.
The highly-esteemed Partner Recognition Award is given to health care facilities that have begun to work on environmental improvements, have achieved some progress, and have at least a ten percent recycling rate for their total waste stream.
"Stewardship is one of our core values and we take great pride in our robust sustainability efforts to protect the environment and improve the overall health of our patients, staff and community," said Linda McDonald, Vice President, Mission Services, Dignity Health Inland Empire.
Together, St. Bernardine Medical Center and Community Hospital of San Bernardino recycle more than five tons every week through various sustainability processes, such as recycling cardboard, cooking oil, e-waste, metal and batteries. Additional sustainability efforts include:
- St. Bernardine recycled 300,000 pounds in the last fiscal year, which equates to 150 tons. Furthermore, St. Bernardine recycles 100 percent of its cardboard and diverts more than two tons of waste to be recycled every week.
- Community Hospital recycled more than 375,000 pounds in the last fiscal year, which equates to 187 tons of waste diverted from a landfill.
"The Partner Recognition Awards affirm the work our hospital teams do every day. We are proud to be recognized as a leader in developing and implementing programs that reflect our commitment to environmental stewardship and health," added McDonald.
Dignity Health has been focused on sustainability for more than 20 years and is recognized for its efforts to reduce waste and implement pollution prevention programs. In 2005, Dignity Health became the first health care organization of its size to use IV bags, solutions and tubing that are free of PVC and DEHP. The health system has pledged to increase its use of renewable energy to 35 percent and to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2020 – a goal that the organization is already on track to surpass. In its legislative advocacy efforts, Dignity Health helped influence the passage of SB 350 in California, a landmark bill that will increase both the state's renewable energy use and energy efficiency in buildings by 50 percent.
The Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellence Awards were presented May 19 in Dallas, Texas at the CleanMed Conference & Exhibition, the premier national environmental conference for leaders in health care sustainability.
About Dignity Health – Community Hospital of San Bernardino
Dignity Health - Community Hospital of San Bernardino is a 347-bed nonprofit, acute care hospital that has served the Inland Empire community since 1910. Known for its programs in maternity care, behavioral health services and clinical excellence, the hospital's medical services also include inpatient and outpatient surgery, long term subacute care for adults and children, and health education programs for community members. A member of Dignity Health, Community Hospital of San Bernardino has been committed to serving its community with excellence, compassion and respect for over 100 years. For more information, visit dignityhealth.org/san-bernardino.
About Dignity Health – St. Bernardine Medical Center
Serving the health care needs of the people of the Inland Empire since 1931, Dignity Health St. Bernardine Medical Center is a highly-regarded 342-bed, nonprofit, tertiary acute care hospital located in San Bernardino, California. The hospital offers a full continuum of services, from family care to heart surgery, treating an average of 72,000 individuals in the Emergency Department, delivering 2,100 babies and admitting more than 17,000 patients for treatment each year. Visit dignityhealth.org/stbernardinemedical for additional information.
About Dignity Health
Dignity Health, one of the nation's largest health care systems, is a 21-state network of 9,000 physicians, 59,000 employees, and more than 400 care centers, including hospitals, urgent and occupational care, imaging centers, home health, and primary care clinics. Headquartered in San Francisco, Dignity Health is dedicated to providing compassionate, high-quality, and affordable patient-centered care with special attention to the poor and underserved. In FY15, Dignity Health provided $1.7 billion in charitable care and services. For more information, please visit our website at www.dignityhealth.org. You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160520/370448
SOURCE Dignity Health Inland Empire Hospitals
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