Seven Aspirus Health hospitals earn national award for environmental sustainability

Seven Aspirus Health hospitals have earned Practice Greenhealth’s 2022 Partner for Change Award in recognition of their achievement and innovation in health care sustainability. Practice Greenhealth is the nation’s leading organization dedicated to environmental sustainability in health care.

Aspirus hospitals receiving the honor are:

• Aspirus Langlade Hospital (Antigo, Wis.)
• Aspirus Medford Hospital
• Aspirus Riverview Hospital (Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.)
• Aspirus Ironwood Hospital
• Aspirus Wausau Hospital
• Aspirus Keweenaw Hospital
• Aspirus Iron River Hospital

The Greenhealth Partner for Change Award recognizes superior performance in environmental sustainability, covering a range of different sustainability programs and activities. Winners have also made substantive progress on mercury elimination.

“As a leader in the communities we serve, Aspirus Health is concerned with the impact we have on the environment and how this affects the health and safety of our patients, employees, visitors and communities,” said Ali Wolf, System Director of Sustainability for Aspirus.

In 2018, Aspirus established the systemwide Aspirus Sustainability Initiative as a coordinated, strategic effort to identify and put into practice sustainability measures to improve the lives of patients and the health of communities. The strategies include minimizing waste and improving recycling, addressing chemicals of concern, lowering energy use and water consumption, sourcing food and products sustainably, incorporating sustainable features into the buildings and grounds, establishing environmentally preferable purchasing criteria, shifting fleet vehicles to a cleaner and lower carbon fleet, and more.

“We’re making terrific strides toward reducing our impact on the environment and we’re committed to doing even more,” says Wolf.

“In a shifting health care landscape, a focus on sustainability can help build resilience while better protecting the health of patients and the community,” said Gary Cohen, Practice Greenhealth founder. “Aspirus Langlade, Medford, Riverview, Ironwood, Wausau, Keweenaw and Iron River Hospitals demonstrate the kind of leadership, innovation and performance that can drive the entire health sector toward more environmentally responsible practices.”

Four years into its program, Aspirus Health has realized energy savings of $1,068,307 and a carbon reduction of 13,209 MtCo2 (metric tons of carbon dioxide) in addition to recognition by Practice Greenhealth, Arbor Day – Healthcare Tree campus, RENEW Wisconsin and the City of Wausau for successes earned by program. Aspirus Health has installed 1.7 MW of rooftop solar to support its pursuit of clean and sustainable energy to feed its business operations.

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