Community Health Network

Home > Community Hospital South > Going green

Going green at South

Community Hospital South is dedicated to "going green" during its Next Evolution. Check back here for continuing updates on these efforts.

Wearing “green” at South

Community Hospital South is doing its part to promote “green” initiatives by outfitting 25 of its patient access employees in uniforms made of recycled plastic bottles. Distributed through Cintas Corp., the eco-friendly suits—including slacks, skirts, two styles of vests and a jacket—were rolled out in February.

Community South is the first hospital in Indianapolis to adopt this unusual and surprisingly comfortable offering. The fabric itself is smooth and lightweight, and chemically and functionally is nearly identical to regular polyester. The suit material is formed from the byproduct of processed recycled plastic that has been spun with other fibers to enhance the quality. It takes about 10 recycled plastic bottles to make each easy-to-launder garment.

“Previously, employees were encouraged to wear khaki pants and polo shirts,” says Yvonne Shinkle, director of concierge and volunteer services, “but eventually some people would come to work in regular everyday attire. The new uniforms offer a much more professional look.”

“The team has pride in what they are wearing now and they feel this will earn them respect,” says Pamela Sluus, patient access manager. With the new uniforms, staff members are easily recognized as individuals who can offer help or assistance.

“Often we are discussing very private issues with the patient regarding financial information,” Sluus adds. “I believe there needs to be a level of professionalism that we can obtain through a professional appearance.”

Uniforms previously were adopted by patient access employees at Community East and North, but the ones at Community South are the first to be made of recycled materials, says Shinkle. Introducing the eco-friendly uniforms is another piece of the “green” culture at Community South that was spotlighted by last year’s LEED gold certification of the emergency department expansion.

“I believe that this just goes in line with what our vision is in this community,” says Sluus. “We want to be here for our patients, and we realize that our carbon footprint will make an impact on the future and our patients’ future.”

In pursuit of green

Making the Next Evolution environmentally friendly

It is commonly known that the Community Hospital South expansion was designed with thoughtful input from physicians, nurses and patients. From decentralized nursing stations to all-private patient rooms to next-generation technology in the new operating suites, the Next Evolution of CHS incorporates elements that will promote exceptional experiences for patients, families, physicians and employees alike.

Perhaps less familiar is that this project has an added layer of detail focused on the environment. “We are incorporating as much energy efficiency as possible and doing what we can to optimize indoor air quality,” says Mitchell Breeze, director of facilities at Community Hospital South.

Following environmentally friendly standards involves registering the project with the Green Guide for Health Care and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program. A similar approach was taken with the recent expansion of the hospital’s emergency department, which received gold certification from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™.

According to Breeze, the guidelines for the Next Evolution project are difficult to achieve, particularly for a hospital building. “We’re building on the lessons learned from our last LEED project,” he says.

The list of goals for the environmental component of the project is lengthy. Among the items on the checklist:

• At least 75 percent of the equipment purchased will be EPA Energy Star or Enerlogic rated.
• At least 75 percent of the construction waste will be diverted away from landfills through recycling and reuse.
• Water consumption in the new facilities will be reduced through the use of low-flow and hands-free technology.
• Finishes and paints that are low in odorous or irritating contaminants will be selected to ensure the comfort and well-being of patients, families, employees—and those involved in the construction.
• Every effort will be made to keep sound disruptions to a minimum, throughout the construction and beyond.
• Native or adapted plants requiring little or no irrigation will be used for the outdoor landscaping.

Taking the extra steps to achieve Green Guide and Energy Star certification is a win-win for the environment and for the occupants of the new facilities. In particular, patients and visitors will benefit from the reductions in noise and air pollution, which will contribute to the healing environment.

The expansion project, which includes a five-story patient tower, six state-of-the-art operating suites and expanded outpatient services, is scheduled for completion mid-year 2010. Learn more about the Next Evolution of Community Hospital South at eCommunity.com/south.

Community Hospital South receives LEED® gold certification for ER expansion

Community Hospital South's emergency room expansion project has been awarded LEED NC Gold Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED is the USGBC’s leading rating system for designing and constructing the world’s greenest, most energy efficient and high performing buildings. Community Hospital South is the first hospital to receive gold certification in the state of Indiana.

“While our focus has always been on getting patients well and back to their lives, we are also committed to caring for our planet,” said Mitch Breeze, facilities director at Community Hospital South. “Though it may not be obvious in the midst of an emergency situation, a lot of thought goes into how we create an exceptional experience for our patients, and that includes taking care of our environment.”

LEED was established for market leaders to design and construct buildings that protect and save precious resources, while verifying environmental performance, occupant health and financial return. There are four levels of certification available. Community South was awarded certification at the gold level, the second highest rating that can be achieved. The NC in the rating means that the project meets standards for new construction.

“The green building movement offers an unprecedented opportunity to respond to the most important challenges of our time, including global climate change, dependence on non-sustainable and expensive sources of energy and threats to human health,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. “The work of innovative building projects, such as Community Hospital South’s emergency room, is a fundamental driving force in the green building movement.”

The emergency room construction, which was completed in August of 2007, expanded the facility from 11,000 to 30,000 square feet, including 26 all-private rooms equipped with the most advanced emergency technology; trauma rooms for the most critical trauma needs; a comfortable waiting area; and an enclosed bay that can accommodate four ambulances.

The project was designed by Schmidt Associates to achieve LEED certification for energy use, lighting, water and material use. It also incorporates a variety of other sustainable strategies. “Community Hospital South and the project team set goals during the design phase to create an energy efficient building with optimal indoor air quality,” said Craig Flandermeyer, RLA, LEED AP, a landscape architect with Schmidt Associates. “The LEED NC Gold Certification provides third-party verification that the end results not only met those goals, but also compare favorably to national standards for protecting the environment. Community Hospital South patients, employees and the operating budget should all benefit.”

To achieve LEED certification, Community South incorporated a number of green design and construction features in the new emergency room, including:

• A heat recovery process to use approximately 22 % less energy than the baseline established by the American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
• Removing pollutants from storm water
• Water-efficient landscaping
• Reduced water usage through automatic fixtures, low-flow lavatories and dual-flush toilets
• Refrigeration systems that use no ozone-depleting refrigerants
• Daylight harvesting, combined with use of dimmable compact fluorescent light bulbs and occupancy sensors
• Spaces and fixtures for collecting and storing recyclables
• Bike racks and nearby bus lines that create alternative transportation options
• Use of regionally produced construction materials, including brick, steel, glass, and hardwood veneers, to reduce cost and energy consumption associated with shipping
• More than 10% of construction products created from recycled and sustainable materials
• Recycling more than 50% of the construction waste

"Community Health Network continually measures the quality of the health care it provides, as well as the satisfaction of its patients," Breeze said. "We feel it's important to apply similar measurements to our building projects. LEED was a good way of getting a third-party grade on how well we’re doing."

About the U.S. Green Building Council
The U.S. Green Building Council is a nonprofit membership organization whose vision is a sustainable built environment within a generation. Its membership includes corporations, builders, universities, government agencies, and other nonprofit organizations. Since USGBC’s founding in 1993, the Council has grown to more than 13,000 member companies and organizations, a comprehensive family of LEED® green building rating systems, an expansive educational offering, the industry’s popular Greenbuild International Conference and Expo (www.greenbuildexpo.org), and a network of 72 local chapters, affiliates, and organizing groups. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.