We’re a ‘Green’ Network
We’re doing our part to be friendly to the Earth
Lehigh Valley Health Network takes the footprint it leaves on the Earth very seriously. That’s why we’re taking steps to tread lightly on the environment. We’ve made it a priority to be as friendly to the environment as possible—it’s important to us, to our community and to the future of the Earth. Here’s a look at what we’re doing as a green hospital:
Buildings
The Kasych Family Pavilion and the Center for Advanced Health Care buildings on Lehigh Valley Health Network's Cedar Crest campus in Allentown, Pa., have earned the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, the national benchmark for green buildings. These buildings:
- Use recycled and recyclable materials
- Take advantage of natural light
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Use Energy Star-rated appliances
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Manage water use with low-flow showerheads and dual-flush toilets
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Reduce energy consumption for cooling by using reflective roofing
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Reduce pollutants by using low-volatile organic compounds such as paint and adhesives
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Have motion-control lighting switches
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Recycled construction waste instead of land-filling it whenever possible during construction
Transportation
Thanks to a collaborative effort between the DaVinci Science Center, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., and the healthy network, we have a hydrogen-fueled van at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest campus that picks up and drops off patients, visitors and colleagues. When you ride the shuttle you can feel good knowing:
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The state-of-the-art hydrogen-powered engine delivers nearly zero emissions. That’s because the main byproduct of hydrogen combustion is water.
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Hydrogen is the most efficient of all fuels currently available for use.
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Fossil fuels won’t last forever, but hydrogen is a potentially renewable resource that can be made from water, via wind or solar power. Hydrogen is the most plentiful element in the universe.
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Unlike traditional fuels, hydrogen is odorless, colorless and non-toxic. That means a spill diffuses into the air and doesn’t pollute land or groundwater.
Recycling
In six months, Lehigh Valley Health Network’s three hospitals generate nearly 230,000 pounds of paper waste and more than 12,000 pounds of plastic bottles, aluminum cans and glass. While our health network has always recycled these items, a new initiative is underway to ensure these materials are consistently placed in the proper container for recycling. Highlights of the initiative include:
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The network purchased more than 1,800 containers to hold paper waste. Paper waste with protected health information has a lid to keep documents secure. Paper from these containers is collected and taken to an off-site, secure facility for shredding and recycling.
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The network purchased nearly 400 containers to hold bottles, cans and glass (commingled) that will be sent off-site for recycling. These containers were placed in areas where commingled waste is generated. All of the recycled containers purchased were made with 55 percent recycled plastic.
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All hospital colleagues are being educated about recycling. They are learning about the importance of discarding waste in the proper container. Part of the education includes stickers that are placed on the four kinds of hospital waste containers: regular trash, paper, commingled and medical waste. The stickers remind employees which items should not be thrown into a particular container.
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Recycling saves the network money that is reinvested in the community. In addition to diverting all of this waste from landfills, the recycling initiative will also save the network money that can be invested in health care services for our community.
Need Help? Call 610-402-CARE (8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday) to talk to nurses and other experts who can help you find a heart care doctor and more.
This page last updated 12/16/08 08:36 PM
