Picture By Maria Christina Yager | Blanchfield Military Group Hospital Division of Public Well being Chief Capt. Arron…… learn extra learn extra Picture By Maria Christina Yager | Blanchfield Military Group Hospital Division of Public Well being Chief Capt. Arron Smith lately accepted the 2023 Companions for Change Award and 2023 Greening the OR Recognition Award on behalf of the hospital group. Smith tracks and complies annual knowledge for sustainability progress and compliance all through the hospital and outlying clinics on Fort Campbell and the community-based Screaming Eagle Medical Residence situated off publish in Clarksville, Tennessee. see much less | View Picture Web page
Blanchfield Military Group Hospital was lately acknowledged for its dedication to decreasing its environmental footprint within the world motion for environmental well being.
The hospital obtained the 2023 Companions for Change Award and 2023 Greening the OR Recognition Award as a part of The Observe Inexperienced Well being Environmental Excellence Awards Program coordinated by the Protection Well being Company and U.S. Military Medical Command.
Going “inexperienced” refers to selecting practices that help environmental conservation.
“This can be a trigger now we have taken the championship of to essentially show that we’re doing what we will to make our carbon footprint and environmental influence as small as doable,” stated Capt. Arron Smith, chief of BACH’s Division of Public Well being, and the hospital’s Observe Greenhealth submission coordinator.
Smith tracks and complies annual knowledge for sustainability progress and compliance all through the hospital and outlying clinics on Fort Campbell and the community-based Screaming Eagle Medical Residence situated off publish in Clarksville, Tennessee. Focus areas embody six predominant measures with subcategories for sustainable buildings, vitality discount, renewable vitality, water effectivity, hazardous waste minimization, environmentally most well-liked buying, greenhouse gasoline emission discount, and sustainability coaching to assist foster a cultural change.
“The fantastic thing about the Greenhealth Award is that it’s not simply the work of a single division. It’s truly all of BACH, culminating from a number of sections of the hospital and their particular person actions to the method and program to cut back our waste and our influence on the setting,” added Smith.
Within the medical logistics area, new contracts, together with these for building, should meet particular steerage for vitality and water effectivity and environmentally preferable necessities.
The hospital’s gear administration department helps “Go Inexperienced” initiatives by buying energy-efficient home equipment, recycled paper that accommodates at the very least 50% post-consumer content material for a sustainable selection and buying environmentally most well-liked merchandise like bio-based cleaners and provides.
Wanda Brookhyser, supervisory gear specialist and medical upkeep program supervisor at BACH served a profession within the Air Power earlier than becoming a member of federal service at BACH and stated that she has seen quite a lot of change.
“Now, 60% of our workplace provide orders are made out of post-consumer recycled supplies. As in comparison with 20 years in the past, medical units are on common 50% extra vitality environment friendly,” stated Brookhyser. “Now we have approx. 7,700 medical units in use all through the hospital and satellite tv for pc clinics, so there’s a vital cost-savings in general vitality consumption throughout the MTF footprint.”
As a complete, recycling initiatives practiced by BACH workers, together with recycling batteries, cardboard, cooking oil, and paper has diverted roughly 192 tons of waste from the landfill, reflecting a disposal price financial savings of over $75,000.
For a lot of hospital workers, environmental sustainability is simply as vital off obligation, too.
“I recycle and something I can reuse I do reuse, like water bottles and plastic utensils,” stated Employees Sgt. Virginia Vinson, a behavioral well being specialist at BACH.
Hospital Commander Col. Vincent B. Myers stated it can be crucial that workers and clinicians apply environmental sustainability greatest practices.
“We’re not simply centered on affected person care, but additionally the setting. Our workers is repeatedly striving to enhance and increase upon these packages on the trail to sustainability,” stated Myers.