Stony Brook Medicine Honored with Greenhealth “Partner for Change” Sustainability Award

Gary Dasaro, CPM, APP, Director of Purchasing, Stony Brook University Hospital, with the Practice Greenhealth award.

June 8, 2016 – Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH) was awarded the 2015 “Greenhealth Partner for Change” Award by Practice Greenhealth. The award was presented on May 19 in Dallas, Texas at the CleanMed Conference & Exhibition, which is considered the premier national environmental conference for leaders in healthcare sustainability.

“This outstanding achievement can be attributed to the effective execution of our interdisciplinary team of Facilities, Operations, Nursing and Environmental Health & Safety representatives, who are dedicated to the Hospital’s mission to be sustainable,” said Carol Gomes, MS, FACHE, CPHQ, Chief Operating Officer, Stony Brook University Hospital.

Stony Brook University Hospital’s achievements include:

• The completion of an energy audit in 2015 with clear priorities and goals outlined to improve energy efficiency in the coming years.
• Further decrease in energy use was accomplished through the installation of an energy efficiency tool utilizing a passive infrared sensor in all vending machines and several LED lighting installation projects.
• The implementation of a microfiber mop program reduced the use of chemicals. Increased healthy beverage options in retail operations and provided pitchers of water at functions and meetings in place of bottled water.
• An onsite rooftop garden provided fresh produce to patients.
• Continued waste reduction efforts through increased identification of recycling opportunities and an effective single-use device reprocessing program.

Practice Greenhealth is the nation’s leading resource for environmentally friendly practices for the healthcare sector. It is dedicated to transforming healthcare worldwide so that it reduces its environmental footprint, becomes a community anchor for sustainability and a leader in the global movement for environmental health and justice.

The Greenhealth Partner for Change Award recognizes healthcare facilities that continuously improve and expand upon their mercury elimination, waste reduction, recycling and source reduction programs. At a minimum, facilities applying for this award must be recycling 15 percent of their total waste, have reduced regulated medical waste, are well along the way to mercury elimination, and have developed other successful pollution prevention programs in many different areas.