Becker's Healthcare is pleased to name 60 of the most environmentally friendly hospitals in the country.
Hospitals across the nation are taking steps to become more environmentally friendly as part of population health initiatives and cost-saving measures. The hospitals featured on this list have made community stewardship at the environmental level a top priority, incorporating green building efforts into expansions and embarking on projects to lower energy consumption and reduce medical and food waste.
Several institutions featured on this list extend efforts into their communities, sourcing cafeteria food from locally grown vendors, holding electronics and unused prescription recycling drives and partnering with organizations to provide healthy food for underserved areas.
The Becker's editorial team considered nominations and conducted editorial research when developing this list. Several of the hospitals featured on this list have been recognized with Practice Greenhealth awards, U.S. Green Building Council recognition and accolades from the American Society for Healthcare Engineering and Environmental Protection agency.
Note: This list is not a comprehensive list of green hospitals, and is not an endorsement of included hospitals. Hospitals do not pay for inclusion and are listed in alphabetical order.
Advocate Christ Medical Center (Oak Lawn, Ill.). Advocate Christ Medical Center achieved LEED Gold certification for two projects in the past two years: a nine-story outpatient facility in 2015 and its eight-story East Tower in 2017. [CLICK HERE]
Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital (Downers Grove, Ill.). Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital leads the Advocate Health system in purchasing Healthier Hospitals-compliant furniture, with 75 percent of furniture being void of target chemicals, excluding beds and mattresses. [CLICK HERE]
Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital (Barrington, Ill.). Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital cut energy use intensity by approximately 37 percent since 2008 and curbed water consumption by 500,000 gallons in 2016. [CLICK HERE]
Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center (Chicago). In 2015, Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center opened its $100 million Center for Advanced Care in Chicago, which gained LEED Silver certification in 2016. [CLICK HERE]
Advocate Lutheran General Hospital (Park Ridge, Ill.). In 2010, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital earned LEED Gold certification for its eight-story patient tower, making it the first Midwest hospital to achieve the elite recognition. [CLICK HERE]
Advocate Trinity Hospital (Chicago). In 2010, Advocate Trinity Hospital formed a Green Council to adopt and reach environmentally sustainable benchmarks. [CLICK HERE]
Aspen (Colo.) Valley Hospital. Aspen Valley Hospital achieved LEED Gold certification in 2014, becoming the second hospital in Colorado to garner the acclaimed classification. [CLICK HERE]
Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak (Mich.). More than 700 Beaumont Hospital employees volunteer to run the hospital's Green Team. [CLICK HERE]
Bon Secours St. Francis Eastside (Greenville, S.C.). Bon Secours St. Francis Eastside is part of Marriottsville, Md.-based Bon Secours Health System. [CLICK HERE]
Bon Secours St. Mary's Hospital (Richmond, Va.). A Marriottsville, Md.-based Bon Secours Health System affiliate, Bon Secours St. Mary's Hospital is part of an environmentally oriented organization. [CLICK HERE]
Boston Medical Center. Boston Medical Center is on track to emit zero greenhouse gases by 2020 after reducing energy use by 19.4 percent from the hospital's 2011 baseline. [CLICK HERE]
Brigham and Women's Hospital (Boston). Brigham and Women's Hospital's newest building, a research and clinical center that opened September 2016, attained LEED Gold certification for its reduced energy consumption and environmentally friendly design. [CLICK HERE]
Bronson Methodist Hospital (Kalamazoo, Mich.). Bronson Methodist Hospital is dedicated to decreasing its carbon footprint. [CLICK HERE]
Children's Health (Dallas). Children's Health is the second-largest healthcare system user of renewable energy in the nation, and it is on track to become the largest renewable electricity user among pediatric healthcare providers. [CLICK HERE]
Cleveland Clinic. In 2008, Cleveland Clinic became the first U.S. healthcare provider to sign the United Nations Global Compact, a strategic policy initiative for businesses committed to human rights, labor, environmental and anti-corruption strategies. [CLICK HERE]
Cleveland Clinic Marymount Hospital (Garfield Heights, Ohio). In 2012, Cleveland Clinic Marymount Hospital opened a LEED Gold-certified surgery center featuring increased water efficiency, energy savings and improved air quality. [CLICK HERE]
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (Lebanon, N.H.). Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center is committed to sustainability, energy efficiency, water conservation and safe waste disposal. [CLICK HERE]
Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas (Austin). Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas was the first hospital in the world to achieve LEED Platinum certification, which holds buildings to the highest level of environmental scrutiny. [CLICK HERE]
Erie (Pa.) VA Medical Center.Almost 8 percent of Erie Veterans Affairs Medical Center's energy comes from renewable sources, which helped its cut energy use by 13 percent in one year. [CLICK HERE]
GoodSamaritan Hospital (Puyallup, Wash.). Good Samaritan completed its Dally Tower, which received LEED Gold certification for sustainable design features, in 2011. [CLICK HERE]
Gundersen Health System (La Crosse, Wis.). Gundersen Health System made a commitment in 2008 to control rising energy costs by improving efficiency and creating cleaner energy to reduce consumption. [CLICK HERE]
HackensackUMC (Hackensack, N.J.). HackensackUMC, a 775-bed teaching hospital, is widely recognized for its environmental and sustainability initiatives, including partnerships with local organizations to increase the purchase of sustainable food and establish a farm stand. [CLICK HERE]
Harborview Medical Center (Seattle). Harborview Medical Center, part of Seattle-based UW Medicine, strives to provide patients with healthy, sustainable foods. [CLICK HERE]
Hudson (Wis.) Hospital & Clinic. In 2009, Hudson Hospital & Clinic leaders created the facility's first Green Team, responsible for establishing an enhanced recycling program and intense paper reduction initiatives throughout the hospital. [CLICK HERE]
Inova Fairfax Hospital (Falls Church, Va.). Inova Fairfax Hospital participates in the Healthier Hospital Initiative, which challenges hospitals to reduce energy and waste, choose safer and less toxic products, and serve healthier foods. [CLICK HERE]
Intermountain Healthcare (Salt Lake City). Intermountain Healthcare, a 22-hospital system, has implemented a wide range of efficiency, conservation and sustainability initiatives. [CLICK HERE]
Iowa Methodist Medical Center (Des Moines). Iowa Methodist Medical Center, part of UnityPoint Health, has taken several steps to reduce food waste, such as incorporating food composting into its kitchens and cafeterias. [CLICK HERE]
James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center (Altoona, Pa.). James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center has several sustainability and environmental programs. [CLICK HERE]
Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore). Sustainability is a top priority for Johns Hopkins Hospital. The hospital installed a solar farm, has more than 65,000 square feet of green roofing and holds a farmer's market six months out of the year. [CLICK HERE]
Kaiser Permanente Irvine (Calif.) Medical Center. Kaiser Permanente Irvine Medical Center has embarked on several projects to reduce its environmental impact. [CLICK HERE]
Kaiser Permanente San Jose (Calif.) Medical Center. Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center employs several green-thinking strategies, such as the installation of 10 electric vehicle charging stations on campus. [CLICK HERE]
Kaiser Permanente Vacaville (Calif.). Medical Center. Kaiser Permanente Vacaville Medical Center spends 51 percent of its total food budget on sustainable food, while procuring 49 percent of its meat from farms raising non-therapeutic, antibiotics-free animals. [CLICK HERE]
Kiowa County Memorial Hospital (Greensburg, Kan.). After a tornado destroyed Kiowa County Memorial Hospital's facility in 2007, the hospital rebuilt with eco-consciousness and energy efficiency at the forefront of construction plans. [CLICK HERE]
Lakeview Hospital (Stillwater, Minn.). Lakeview Hospital's green initiatives focus on reducing waste and creating healthy, sustainable food options for patients, families and staff members. [CLICK HERE]
Littleton (Colo.) Adventist Hospital. Since 2008, Centura Health's Littleton Adventist Hospital has been at the forefront of sustainable initiatives through the efforts of its Sustainability Advisory Committee. [CLICK HERE]
Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC (Pittsburgh). Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC is a sustainability leader with its Green Team calling the shots. [CLICK HERE]
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (New York City). Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center's environmentally friendly initiatives span several hospital departments. [CLICK HERE]
Metro Health Hospital (Wyoming, Mich.). Metro Health Hospital was the first full-service hospital in Michigan to achieve LEED certification for sustainability achievement. [CLICK HERE]
Minneapolis VA Health Care System. Minneapolis VA Health Care System has far-reaching initiatives contributing to its sustainable and environmentally friendly mission. [CLICK HERE]
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. This 2017 Practice Greenhealth Partner Recognition Award-winning hospital leads its renewable efforts through its NYPgreen program. [CLICK HERE]
NorthShore University HealthSystem Evanston (Ill.) Hospital. NorthShore University HealthSystem is committed to working for a healthier environment and has taken steps to reduce its environmental footprint. [CLICK HERE]
NorthShore University HealthSystem Glenbrook Hospital (Glenview, Ill.). NorthShore University HealthSystem made a commitment to go green and took a huge leap forward in 2015 when the system eliminated polystyrene containers; the change saved around 22,000 garbage bags of Styrofoam annually. [CLICK HERE]
Overlook Medical Center (Summit, N.J.). Overlook Medical Center has engaged in green initiatives across the board to reduce its carbon footprint and increase sustainability. [CLICK HERE]
Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital (St. Louis Park, Minn.). The 426-bed Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital implemented several initiatives to reduce the hospital's environmental impact and improve energy efficiency within the last year. [CLICK HERE]
Parkland Memorial Hospital (Dallas). Parkland Memorial Hospital established its sustainability program in 2013 and has since recycled or diverted more than 3,800 tons of waste through 30 different programs. [CLICK HERE]
Reading (Pa.) Health System. Reading HealthPlex for Advanced Surgical & Patient Care, opened October 2016, exemplifies the health system's commitment to sustainable business practices. [CLICK HERE]
Regions Hospital (St. Paul, Minn.). HealthPartners' Regions Hospital partnered with Xcel Energy in 2009 to improve energy efficiency through several unique initiatives, including replacing parking lot lamps with LED bulbs, installing occupancy sensors to control lighting across the hospital and converting OR lighting structures to LED lights. [CLICK HERE]
Seattle Children's Hospital. Seattle Children's Hospital promotes green initiatives inside its four walls that extend to staff members and the community. [CLICK HERE]
Sibley Memorial Hospital (Washington, D.C.). Sibley Memorial Hospital opened a new patient tower in 2016 with an eye on environmentally friendly construction.[CLICK HERE].
Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital-Boston. Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital opened a new 262,000-square-foot, 132-bed facility in 2013 designed with sustainability and environmentally friendly best practices in mind. [CLICK HERE]
Spectrum Health Blodgett Hospital (Grand Rapids, Mich.). Spectrum Health is committed to reducing its carbon footprint, keeping approximately 3.2 million pounds of garbage out of landfills through various recycling and reprocessing initiatives. [CLICK HERE]
St. Cloud (Minn.) VA Health Care System. St. Cloud VA Health Care System is engaged in several energy and water saving projects that led to an estimated $54,506 institutional savings on energy costs in 2016. [CLICK HERE]
UCSF Medical Center/UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital (San Francisco). Officials at UCSF Medical Center recognized the importance of sustainability and incorporated measures to ensure its UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay campus — completed in 2015 — utilized energy-saving initiatives to protect the environment. [CLICK HERE]
University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center (Beachwood, Ohio). Ahuja Medical Center has implemented several initiatives to conserve energy and reduce costs. [CLICK HERE]
University of Maryland Medical Center (Baltimore). To minimize its effects on the environment, the University of Maryland Medical Center created the UMMC Green Team to lead the institution's sustainability and energy conservation efforts. [CLICK HERE]
Michigan Medicine (Ann Arbor). Michigan Medicine's sustainability efforts are overseen by its Environmental Stewardship Steering Committee, which is responsible for implementing conservation efforts across the health system. [CLICK HERE]
University of Vermont Medical Center (Burlington). The University of Vermont Medical Center's sustainability and conservation efforts began with the work of one nurse in 1989. [CLICK HERE]
UW Medical Center (Seattle). The UW Medical Center has participated in numerous projects and green initiatives to improve the institution's sustainability efforts. [CLICK HERE]
Virginia Mason Hospital & Medical Center (Seattle). Since beginning its journey toward sustainability in the 1980s, Virginia Mason's conservation projects have grown into EnviroMason, the health system's environmental stewardship initiative. [CLICK HERE]
William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital (Madison, Wis.). William S. Middleton Memorial VA Hospital's conservation improved after the facility established its Green Environmental Management System in June 2005. [CLICK HERE]
Yale-New Haven (Conn.) Hospital. Yale-New Haven Hospital has worked to establish sustainability as an integral aspect of the hospital's mission. [CLICK HERE]