Dominican Earns National Award for Environmental Excellence

In recognition for successful programs to reduce environmental impact, Dignity Health Dominican Hospital has received the Partner for Change Award from Practice Greenhealth, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to environmental sustainability in health care. The award is one of the Environmental Excellence Awards given each year to honor environmental achievements in the health care sector.

“Sustainability is central to protecting the health of our patients, staff and community – and it’s just the right thing to do,” said Nanette Mickiewicz, MD, Dominican Hospital president. “We take pride in our sustainability programs and the positive impacts they have on the environment and the communities we serve.”

The Partner for Change Award recognizes health care facilities that continuously improve and expand upon programs to eliminate mercury, reduce and recycle waste, source products sustainably, and more. Winning facilities must demonstrate that they are recycling at least 15 percent of their total waste, have reduced regulated medical waste, are on track to eliminate mercury, and have developed successful sustainability programs in many areas.

Dominican Hospital has received consistent recognition from Practice Greenhealth as a leader in environmental excellence. These awards acknowledge several sustainability successes, including:

• Achieved a recycling rate of 53 percent, more than double the average recycling rate of other sustainability award-winning hospitals.
• Managed harmful chemicals by eliminating mercury-based thermometers, switching to nontoxic cleaning products, and responsibly disposing of pharmaceutical waste.
• Installed drought-resistant landscaping, thereby reducing water needs.
• Eliminated the use of plastic drink stirrers and plastic straws in the hospital cafeteria.
• Deployed water-saving sterilization equipment, which saves 440 gallons of water per day.
• Created a 9,000 square foot certified-organic garden that yields 2,500 pounds of produce yearly.
• Installed a 5,000-gallon water catchment tank, which supplies the organic garden.
• Reduced energy usage through the installation of LED lighting throughout parking lots and purchase of high efficiency motors.

Dignity Health 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.

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Dignity Health Dominican Hospital has been caring for the Santa Cruz County community for more than 75 years.