St. John’s Hospitals Honored for Environmental Excellence and Reducing Waste

The two St. John's are the only two hospitals in Ventura County to be recognized for environmental excellence by Practice Greenhealth

St. John’s Pleasant Valley Hospital (SJPVH) and St. John’s Regional Medical Center (SJRMC), Dignity Health hospitals, are proud to announce each will be honored with the 2017 “Greenhealth Partner for Change Award” by Practice Greenhealth. The award is one of the Environmental Excellence Awards given each year to honor environmental achievements in the health care sector. SJRMC is receiving the Partner for Change Award for the second time while this latest Environmental Excellence Award is one of four received for SJPVH  over the last decade. Both hospitals will receive the award in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 18th. 

The average hospital produces 33.8 pounds of trash per bed each day, while St. John’s hospitals produce less than half that amount, resulting in only 15 pounds of trash per day. 

These awards are not only a result of the reduction of waste but due to the continued focus to improve the health of our local environment by improving utility consumption and expanding multiple environmental programs, such as the co-generation energy, green purchasing, recycling and toxic elimination programs. “We are proud to have achieved this award after such an intense focus on improving our environmental impact for a number of years, and we are proud to be recognized for these efforts,” says George West, Vice President of Mission Integration for the Central Coast Service Area.

Practice Greenhealth, the nation’s leading membership and network organization in health care, is committed to sustainability principles and practices to protect patient, staff, community and environmental health.  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. 

The Greenhealth Partner for Change Award reinforces the active role SJPVH and SJRMC are committed to sustaining in helping our environment.  All Dignity Health facilities share an obligation to supporting the community and the environment. Through current and future sustainability initiatives, Dignity Health continues to measure, manage and report its collective impact on the environment, ensuring the most positive impact possible.