Lincoln Memorial Hospital Honored for Sustainability

The Greenhealth Partner for Change Award recognizes superior performance in environmental sustainability, covering a range of different sustainability programs and activities.

Lincoln Memorial Hospital has been recognized by Practice Greenhealth since 2017.

"Sustainability is at the heart of our healing mission," said Dolan Dalpoas, president and CEO of Lincoln Memorial Hospital. "In health care, sustainability means looking at how our operations affect the health and safety of our environment as well as the health of our patients, staff, visitors and local community."

The hospital has implemented several energy cost-saving initiatives, resulting in approximately $70,000 in savings each year. Those initiatives include swapping out lightbulbs - including the halogen lights in the parking lots - for LED bulbs, and turning down the thermostats in unoccupied patient rooms.

In addition, the hospital's cafeteria has reduced food waste by repackaging unpurchased food left from lunch to provide meals for staff working overnight shifts. The hospital also installed a rain monitoring system to better gauge how much water is needed to maintain landscaping, as well as high-efficiency boilers. .

"We have made great strides toward reducing our impact on the environment and we are committed to doing even more," Dalpoas said.

Practice Greenhealth is a national nonprofit health care membership organization formed as the result of a first-of-its kind agreement between a health care association and a federal agency with shared goals for environmental stewardship and sustainability in health care.

"In a shifting health care landscape, a focus on sustainability can help build resilience while better protecting the health of patients and the community," said Gary Cohen, Practice Greenhealth founder. "Lincoln Memorial Hospital demonstrates the kind of leadership, innovation and performance that drives the entire health sector toward more environmentally responsible practices."