Welcome to Covenant Health Systems’ “Healthy People need a Healthy Planet” page. Please stop back often to learn of Covenant’s environmental initiatives and tips on reducing your own carbon footprint.
Environmental Awards
For the eighth consecutive year Covenant Health Systems received the “System for Change” award from Practice Greenhealth. This award recognizes health systems that are working cohesively to gather data, set system goals, benchmark, and share successes in environmental performance.
Practice Greenhealth is the nation’s leading membership and networking organization for institutions in the healthcare community that have made a commitment to sustainable, eco-friendly practices.
St. Mary’s Health System, Lewiston, ME (2nd year) ; Mary Immaculate Nursing Restorative Center, Lawrence, MA (3rd year) and Youville Place Assisted Living Residence (2nd year), Lexington, MA received the “Partner for Change with Distinction” Award. The Partner for Change, with Distinction Award is a very competitive award that recognizes health care facilities that have achieved improvements in their mercury elimination, waste reduction, and source reduction programs – above and beyond the Partner for Change basic criteria. This includes at least 20 percent recycling, 10 percent or less Regulated Medical Waste, a more extensive sustainability program, and more programs covering a wider range of areas (such as food, energy, water, chemical minimization, and more). These facilities must also show leadership in the local community and/or in the health care sector.
The “Partner for Change” award went to: Maristhill Nursing and Rehab, Waltham, MA
St. Andre Health Care, Biddeford ME; St. Joseph Hospital, Nashua, NH; and St. Mary Health Care Center, Worcester, MA. The “Partner for Change” Award recognizes health care facilities that continuously improve and expand upon their mercury elimination, waste reduction, and source reduction programs. At a minimum, facilities applying for this Award must be recycling 15 percent of their total waste, are well along the way to mercury elimination, and have developed other successful pollution prevention programs in many different areas.
St. Joseph Healthcare, Bangor, ME received the “Making Mercury Free” Award. This award recognizes facilities that have virtually eliminated mercury from their facilities and have demonstrated a commitment to continue to be mercury-free. (note: all Covenant members have received this award; St. Joseph Healthcare is a new member of Covenant with this being their first award application.)
Youville House Assisted Living Residence, Cambridge, MA received the “Partner Recognition”Award
The Partner Recognition Award is for health care facilities that have begun to work on environmental improvements, achieved some progress, and have at least a five percent recycling rate for the total waste stream.
Eldercare facilities can benefit from going green, Covenant shows
Covenant Health Systems' staff were recently featured in a webinar on the benefits of saving energy and reducing the trash stream. Learn more here.