Advocate Sherman honored for excellence and innovation in health care sustainability

Advocate Sherman's commitment to environmental excellence has been recognized by Practice Greenhealth, the nation's leading organization dedicated to environmental sustainability in health care.

The hospital earned Practice Greenhealth's Emerald Award, presented annually to honor the environmental sustainability achievements of health care facilities that are setting the standard in eliminating mercury, reducing and recycling waste and sustainable sourcing, among other achievements. Winning hospitals have demonstrated a strong commitment to sustainability and shown leadership in the local community and in the health care sector. Advocate Sherman Hospital was among eleven Advocate hospitals to receive individual recognition from the non-profit.

A few of Advocate Sherman's accomplishments have been the following:

• Diverting over 512,000 pounds of waste from the landfill in 2017 through its various recycling programs.

• Compared to 2016, Sherman purchased 1,947 less reams of paper in 2017 (avoiding a stack of paper taller than the Statue of Liberty) even though they had more patients, which translates into a 7.1 percent year over year reduction in paper usage!

• Saved over $286,000 and avoided 11,400 pounds of waste in 2017 through its single-use device reprocessing programs.

• In 2017, Sherman donated 6 pallets of various medical supplies to Project CURE for use in resource-limited areas around the world.

• Through the generosity of the community gardeners, the Sherman Natural Prairie and Community Garden donated 120 pounds of fresh produce to Food for Greater Elgin in 2017.

• Sherman Hospital has a geothermal lake that helps heat and cool the hospital, reducing energy and water needs and saving the hospital around $1,000,000 a year in heating and cooling costs.

For the 10th straight year, Advocate Health Care received Practice Greenhealth's System for Change Award, which honors health care systems working to reduce energy use, increase recycling, establish green building practices and set and meet other goals related to sustainability. The system's decade-long record of recognition represents the longest active streak in the United States.

"To be named among the nation's sustainability leaders is a direct reflection of our team members' dedication to responsible stewardship of our resources," said Al Manshum, senior vice president, operations integration for Advocate Health Care. "As the health of individuals is inextricably linked to the health of our environment, we recognize that delivering exceptional care to our patients includes reducing our environmental impact and contributing towards a healthier environment in the communities we serve."

To learn more about Practice Greenhealth, visit www.practicegreenhealth.org.