Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC Receives Prestigious Practice Greenhealth Award
PITTSBURGH, Aug. 29, 2012 –
Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC is not only a world-class center for women’s, men’s and infants’ health and medical-surgical care, it continues to receive recognition as a leader among health care facilities committed to environmentally responsible operations.
Practice Greenhealth, the national membership organization advocating for environmentally responsible health care facilities, awarded its highest environmental achievement award to Magee.
Magee was named a member of the Environmental Leadership Circle for 2012. The award recognizes health care facilities that exemplify environmental excellence and set the highest standards for environmental practices and sustainability in health care. Noe Copley-Woods, M.D., assistant professor, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, and Judy Focareta, coordinator, Environmental Health Initiatives, accepted the award on behalf of the Magee community in Denver at
CleanMed 2012, the premier national environmental conference for leaders in health care sustainability.
“Our sustainability and greening achievements show a commitment to the health of our staff, patients and community,” said Ms. Focareta, who is extremely proud of the efforts of Magee staff members at both an individual and collective level.
Induction into the Environmental Leadership Circle is exclusive to facilities that are demonstrating the highest standards for environmental practices in health care. “This award honors the highest level of commitment to environmental stewardship and protecting public health,” said Laura Wenger, nurse and Practice Greenhealth Executive Director. Ms. Wenger referred to Magee and other award-winning facilities as the best of the best. “Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC truly is demonstrating leadership for the future of health care.”
The Practice Greenhealth Award review team selected Magee from numerous other applicants. To be considered, locations must meet the criteria for the mercury-free award, recycle 25 percent of total waste, and implement pollution prevention programs.
The staff members of Magee were recognized for applying environmental health education in the hospital setting, as well as for their group waste reduction efforts and commitment to healthy foods fueled by the hospital’s organic vegetable gardens. Examples of “green” initiatives instituted by staff members include choosing alternate modes of transportation, and counseling childbearing families about environmental health and using “green” cleaning products.
Magee’s environmental sustainability efforts were funded, in part, by the University of Pittsburgh Clinical and Translational Science Institute.