HackensackUMC Honored as a National Leader for Environmental Excellence

HACKENSACK, N.J., June 11, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- HackensackUMC is pleased to announce that it has earned Practice Greenhealth's highest honor as a 2014 Environmental Excellence Award winner, earning recognition as one of the top 25 green hospitals in the country.

"I want to congratulate our team members for achieving this impressive distinction," said Robert C. Garrett, president and chief executive officer of the Hackensack University Health Network. "It is a tangible reflection of our commitment to advancing our green initiatives and improving the lives of patients, team members and our community."

The Top 25 Environmental Excellence Awards recognize healthcare facilities that exemplify environmental excellence and are setting the highest standards for environmental practices in healthcare. Programs were rated according to a rigorous scoring system. Sustainability program evaluations ranged from leadership, waste, chemicals, greening the operating room, food and environmentally preferable purchasing; to energy, water, climate and green building.

In addition, HackensackUMC achieved the Making Medicine Mercury-Free Award, recognizing facilities that have virtually eliminated mercury and have demonstrated a commitment to being mercury-free. Award criteria included mercury-free management and purchasing policies and staff education.

"I am proud to partner with HackensackUMC on our innovative environmental initiatives," said Deirdre Imus, president and founder of The Deirdre Imus Environmental Health Center. "I look forward to raising the bar on our shared commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability."

Winners were celebrated at the Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellence Awards ceremony in Cleveland, OH, on June 5 at the CleanMed Conference and Exhibition.

HackensackUMC, in collaboration with The Deirdre Imus Environmental Health Center, is committed to identifying, controlling, and ultimately preventing the toxic exposures in the environment that threaten the health and well-being of children, their families and the wider community.

About Hackensack University Medical Center

HackensackUMC, a nonprofit teaching and research hospital located in Bergen County, NJ, is the largest provider of inpatient and outpatient services in the state. Founded in 1888 as the county's first hospital, it is the flagship hospital of Hackensack University Health Network, one of the largest health networks in the state comprised of 1,250 beds, nearly 10,000 employees and 2,700 credentialed physicians. HackensackUMC was listed as the number one hospital in New Jersey and one of the top three New York metro area hospitals in the U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospital rankings for 2013-14. It also received 10 national rankings in: Cancer; Cardiology & Heart Surgery; Ear, Nose & Throat; Gastroenterology & GI Surgery; Geriatrics; Neurology & Neurosurgery; Orthopedics; Pulmonology; Urology; and the Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital ranked as one of the Top 50 Best Children's Hospitals for Neurology and Neurosurgery in the 2014-15 Best Children's Hospitals list. The children's hospital is housed with the Donna A. Sanzari Women's Hospital in the Sarkis and Siran Gabrellian Women's and Children's Pavilion, which was designed with The Deirdre Imus Environmental Center using the highest "green building" standards, and was included on the Green Guide's list of Top 10 Green Hospitals in the U.S. HackensackUMC is among Healthgrades® America's Best 100 Hospitals in five different areas – more than any other hospital in the state, is one of Healthgrades America's 50 Best Hospitals™ for eight years in a row, and received the Healthgrades Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence™ 12 years in a row. The medical center has also been named a Leapfrog Top Hospital, and received 23 Gold Seals of Approval™ by the Joint Commission – more than any other hospital in the country. It was the first hospital in New Jersey and second in the nation to become a Magnet® recognized hospital for nursing excellence; receiving its fifth consecutive designation in 2014. HackensackUMC is the Hometown Hospital of the New York Giants and the New York Red Bulls, and remains committed to its community through fundraising and community events. To learn more, visit: www.HackensackUMC.org.   

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SOURCE Hackensack University Medical Center