Bay Park Community Hospital’s Green Team planted a new “green” garden June 12 in an effort to be more environmentally responsible while creating a therapeutic space for patients and the community.

The Green Team is comprised of hospital staff members from all departments. They meet quarterly to work on environmental interests within the hospital.

“The garden showcases local, native plants that do not require special attention,” said Deb Kuck, Green Team member. ”It will also prevent erosion and serve as a healing area for our patients, employees and the community.”

The new garden is just one of many initiatives the Green Team has implemented to be more environmentally friendly. When the team formed in April 2008, they identified simple changes to implement, such as Styrofoam reduction, plastic, aluminum, kitchen tin can, cardboard and fluorescent light bulb recycling. Within four months of the Styrofoam initiative, the Green Team had successfully reduced Styrofoam consumption and waste by 40 percent.

We are working to spread awareness and education of environmentally safe practices,” Kuck said. “Part of this project is that we learn new practices that we can take away from this initiative and bring into our homes and local communities.”

The Green Team brainstorms new ideas and projects to save energy and resources.

In May, Practice Greenhealth, a non-profit organization founded on the principles of positive environmental stewardship and best practices by organizations in the health care community, presented BPCH’s Green Team with the Partner for Change Award for their efforts. Nationally, only 62 health care facilities and seven Ohio hospitals won the award, which was granted to organizations that showed waste reduction initiatives, have a mercury elimination program in place and have increased recycling efforts to at least 10 percent of their total waste.

“It takes the whole hospital to make our environmentally-friendly practices a reality,” Kuck said. “When you have this type of setting, patients and employees recognize and appreciate the difference.”
 

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