Ohio Hospitals Give Back to Mother Earth

COLUMBUS—Something as simple as kitchen grease can save the planet? Yes, according to St. Rita’s Medical Center in Lima, which is recycling the grease to create bio-fuels.

Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, a former U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, proposed the first nationwide environmental day to put the importance of the environment onto the national agenda.

Hospitals across Ohio are embracing this idea on Earth Day, April 22, and every day by implementing and improving waste reduction programs, recycling initiatives and plans to help preserve the health of the planet for future generations. Some examples include:

• By mid-summer, all Cleveland Clinic Health System hospitals will use software that automatically shuts off computers at the close of business, saving valuable energy.
• To conserve water, The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati has converted its sprinkler system in its flower beds to a drip irrigation system.
• In just three months, Bucyrus Community Hospital stopped 5,200 pounds of plastic from going to landfills by using reusable sharps containers.
• Barnesville Hospital is offering 900 digital thermometers in exchange for dangerous mercury thermometers for residents of Belmont and Monroe counties.
• Cincinnati hospitals are holding an Earth Day “Go Green Challenge” breakfast to recognize organizations committed to reducing their environmental impact and implementing green business practices.

Looking to make a difference statewide, the Ohio Hospital Association (OHA) continues working to bolster hospitals’ commitment to the environment throughout the year.

• Again this year, OHA will sponsor its Pollution Prevention University, which educates hospitals about eliminating mercury, reducing waste-stream volume and preventing pollution.
• OHA’s Environmental Leadership Council is holding regional meetings to assist hospitals recycle electronic waste, such as computers and other devices.
• OHA will also award one environmentally savvy hospital with its seventh annual John Chapman Award at the OHA Annual Meeting June 9.

Learn more about Ohio hospitals’ accomplishments and efforts to protect the environment at www.ohanet.org/p2/.

The Ohio Hospital Association was established in 1915 and currently represents 170 hospitals and 40 health systems throughout Ohio. OHA is a membership-driven organization that provides proactive leadership to create an environment in which Ohio hospitals are successful in serving their communities. Visit OHA’s Web site at www.ohanet.org. For information on top health care issues, visit the online OHA News Media Center at www.ohanet.org/media/.

###

OHA Home
News Media Main Page