Pictured from left to right: Bruno Giacomuzzi, Co-Treasurer, Board of Directors, Practice Greenhealth; Carol Malley, Environmental Manager, Stony Brook University Hospital; Robert Jarboe, Executive Director, Practice Greenhealth.

Stony Brook University Hospital was honored today with a “Partner for Change Award” from Practice Greenhealth, a national membership organization for health care facilities committed to environmentally responsible operations. The award is one of the organization’s seven Environmental Excellence Awards given each year to honor outstanding environmental achievements in health care sector.

 The Partner for Change award recognizes healthcare facilities that continuously improve and expand upon their mercury elimination, waste reduction, and pollution prevention programs. At a minimum, facilities applying for this award must be recycling 10 percent of their total waste, have a mercury elimination program in place with a plan for total elimination, and have developed other successful pollution prevention programs.

 “The Environmental Excellence Awards recognize success stories,” said Bob Jarboe, executive director of Practice Greenhealth.” “Stony Brook University Hospital is a successful model of how health facilities can develop and implement pollution prevention programs to greatly improve the health of their patients, staff and community.”

 The Award Committee was especially impressed with Stony Brook University Hospital’s establishment of a green team, energy conservation measures, pharmaceutical waste program, environmental stewardship programs and medical equipment reprocessing.

 “We are so pleased to have our accomplishments recognized at a national level,” said Jill Kavoukian, Associate Director, Environmental Health and Safety, Stony Brook University Hospital. Stony Brook University Hospital is committed to reducing our environmental impact and we are continually monitoring our progress to improve our performance. Receiving this award is confirmation that we are on the right track.”

 The Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellence Awards were presented on May 19th in Chicago, IL, in conjunction with CleanMed 2009, a global conference for environmental leaders in health care. Practice Greenhealth will sponsor the planting of 100 trees in Haiti for each award presented.

 Practice Greenhealth is the nation’s leading membership and networking organization for institutions in the healthcare community that have made a commitment to sustainable, eco-friendly practices. Members include hospitals, healthcare systems, businesses and other stakeholders engaged in the greening of healthcare to improve the health of patients, staff and the environment. Practice Greenhealth is a source of environmental solutions for the health care sector. For more information on Practice Greenhealth, healthy initiatives, current trends, news and views, and other links to earth-friendly organizations, visit www.practicegreenhealth.org.

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