California Hospital Medical Center Recognized for National Health Care Environmental “Partnership” Award

California Hospital Medical Center Recognized for National Health Care Environmental “Partnership” Award

BBPR, Inc.Barbara Bishop, 310-656-4668

California Hospital Medical Center has received the “Partner Recognition” Award from Practice Greenhealth, the nation’s leading health care membership community that empowers its members to increase their efficiencies and environmental stewardship while improving patient safety and care. The Award is one of the Environmental Excellence Awards given each year to honor environmental achievements in the health care sector.

“This Award applauds organizations that are just beginning their journey in environmental stewardship,” said Laura Wenger, RN, Executive Director, Practice Greenhealth. “California Hospital Medical Center's commitment to sustainability firmly places them on the path of sustainability for the future of health care.”

The Partner Recognition Award is for health care facilities that have begun to work on environmental improvements, have achieved some progress, and have at least a ten percent recycling rate for their total waste stream.

As evidenced in a recent Health Care Research Collaborative study, “introducing environmental sustainability measures in hospitals not only results in significant savings, it won’t increase operating costs. The implications are clear — given the return on investment, all hospitals should adopt and expand their sustainability programs.

"We have a very active Green Team," said Larry Dopson, Director of EVS and Transportation. “We serve some of the most vulnerable population in the city and keeping the hospital green in this environment is both a challenge and an imperative. It respects the dignity of our patients to be cared for in a green environment, and that is important to all of us. Practice Greenhealth’s recognition with this award is confirmation that we are doing all we can to accomplish that and secure the future of the environment.”

Some of the hospital's ongoing green programs include:

The Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellence Awards were presented in Boston, MA, April 25 at CleanMed, THE premier national environmental conference for leaders in health care sustainability.

California Hospital Medical Center is a 319-bed acute care community hospital serving the health care needs of our community for the past 125 years. As a Dignity Health member, we are committed to delivering compassionate, high-quality, affordable health services.

Practice Greenhealth is the nation’s leading membership and networking organization for institutions in the health care community that have made a commitment to sustainable, eco-friendly practices. For more information on Practice Greenhealth, visit