First-Ever Healthier Hospitals Initiative's 2012 Milestone Report

First-Ever Healthier Hospitals Initiative's 2012 Milestone Report

<0> for Healthier Hospitals InitiativeSheri Singer, 703-346-7111,@sherisingerorRobin Buckley, 703-201-3524 </0>

In the first-ever Healthier Hospitals Initiative 2012 Milestone Report released today, 370 HHI-member hospitals indicate that they have reduced their environmental footprint, lowered costs and improved patient health by incorporating sustainability initiatives into their business models. This is the first time hospitals have quantified sustainability efforts by collecting and reporting data to show movement.

Launched in April 2012, HHI is a national campaign to improve health of patients, staff, and the community; reduce environmental impact by the sector; and experience considerable fiscal savings that reduce the overall national health care costs through better public health.

The data in the report was collected from HHI-member hospitals in six key “Challenge" areas: Engaged Leadership, Healthier Food, Leaner Energy, Less Waste, Safer Chemicals, and Smarter Purchasing.

"HHI is a multi-year campaign and our first Milestone Report shows movement toward delivering a more sustainable hospital environment," said Gary Cohen, president, (HCWH) and founder of . "This report is a baseline from which we can move forward and continue to measure our future successes by encouraging hospitals to purchase more environmentally-preferable supplies, serve healthier foods, use less energy, reduce waste and more."

Led by 13 sponsoring health systems that represent more than 500 hospitals with more than $20 billion in purchasing power, and in conjunction with three nonprofit organizations—HCWH, and —HHI aims to advocate for environmentally responsible health practices by spurring sustainable change across the health care industry.

Each HHI member has committed to improve the health and safety of patients, staff and communities by implementing at least one of the Challenges; The summarizes the Initiative’s first year of progress, with 370 HHI enrollees of all sizes and types contributing their experiences to the data. Some of the report’s key findings include:

The 25 success stories highlighted in the report represent hospitals of varying sizes and geographic locations including:

"HHI has achieved much in its first year. From a successful April 2012 launch in Washington, D.C., to press coverage from the and from a White House Panel on Greening America’s Hospitals to strategic partnerships the force behind the HHI has been noticed by the White House and the nationwide business community," said John Messervy, AIA, Director of Capital & Facility Planning, Partners HealthCare Inc. "We look forward to continued growth and our second Milestone Report in 2014."

To learn more about the campaign, or to download a copy of the full report, visit .

The Healthier Hospitals Initiative (HHI) is a national campaign to implement a new approach to improving environmental health and sustainability in the health care sector. Led by 13 sponsoring organizations and three nonprofits, HHI challenges hospitals to reduce waste in six Challenge areas: Engaged Leadership, Healthier Food, Leaner Energy, Less Waste, Safer Chemicals and Smarter Purchasing. More information is available at .