Keller Army Community Hospital was awarded the 2022 ‘Greenhealth Partner for Change Award’ from Practice Greenhealth in recognition for its achievement and innovation in health care sustainability.
Practice Greenhealth is the nation’s leading organization dedicated to environmental sustainability in health care; the award is the nation’s premier recognition program for environmental performance in the health care sector.
The Greenhealth Partner for Change Award recognizes superior performance in environmental sustainability, covering a range of different sustainability programs and activities. Keller continuously improves and expands upon programs to eliminate mercury, reduce and recycle waste, and source products sustainably. Keller is recycling at least 15% of their total waste, reducing regulated medical waste, on track to eliminate mercury, and developing successful sustainability programs in many areas.
Keller’s continued efforts to be more environmentally responsible include:
- The Keller Dining Facility switched to ‘biodegradable (food) containers and paper cups to replace the Styrofoam containers and cups. This produced less waste and (in the big picture) reduced our dependence on foreign oil.
- A top-down filling water fountain, near the pharmacy, encourages people to refill water bottles and reduce the number of plastic water bottles that are purchased.
- A Clean Chemical Dispensing System – used by the Housekeeping Dept. – is user-friendly and assures the housekeeping staff does not have to come in contact with the chemicals.
- Nora Rubber Flooring throughout the hospital can be cleaned with steam and shined without the use of chemicals.
The Brain D. Allgood Ambulatory Clinic was built with evidence-based designs and sustainability principles. The building’s plan includes an EPA Energy Star-rated step down transformer and an on-site photovoltaic cell array on the roof. The overall energy model demonstrates 19% less building energy cost than comparable facilities.
“This recognition shows continued dedication to reducing our impact on the environment,” said Col. Brianna M. Perata, Commander, Keller Army Community Hospital. “I am proud that our facility has formulated a plan to simultaneously provide world-class, high-quality health care while staying committed to minimizing and recycling waste, addressing chemicals of concern, lowering energy and water consumption, sourcing food and products sustainably, and establishing environmentally preferable purchasing criteria.”
This is Keller’s third consecutive Practice Greenhealth recognition. In 2021 Keller received the ‘Environmental Excellence Award’ and in 2020 the ‘Partner for Change Award’.
Practice Greenhealth is the leading membership and networking organization for sustainable health care, delivering environmental solutions to more than 1,100 U.S. hospitals and health systems. Learn more at https://practicegreenhealth.org.
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