Making hospitals “greener” is now seen as a priority and not merely trendy.
The Becker’s Hospital Review reports:
“Many hospitals have begun placing a greater emphasis on becoming ‘healthy buildings’ that incorporate sustainability into their design, construction materials, utilities and even workflow processes.”
Deb Sheehan, executive director of the health practice for CannonDesign, an design firm specializing in healthcare, told Becker’s:
“We’ve seen a lot of larger health systems with healthy community initiatives in place really starting to say, ‘If we’re going to make good on our mission, we must be committed to investing in healthy buildings that steward the protection of the environment.'”
And: “When you look at the healthcare building typology, most acute-care facilities are 24/7 operations, so energy consumption serves to claim a robust amount of the hospital’s operating budget, just to keep the buildings running.”
John Ebers, associate director of facility engagement and the energy program at Practice Greenhealth, told the news service:
“Within a hospital, energy and utilities represent a fixed cost. Anytime hospitals can drive down a fixed cost, they can improve their margins.”
Ms. Sheehan added: “When you see different kinds of providers — including small community hospitals, large healthcare systems and academic medical providers — all talking about the same sustainable design attributes with the same stature and priority, you know this is a major expectation that isn’t just going to be à la carted. It’s not going to be seen as a variable that’s elective anymore.”
