The North Shore-LIJ System is doing its part to help the environment through various initiatives at its hospitals and has signed an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The voluntary agreement, which was signed the day before Earth Day, is a five-year “Memorandum of Understanding.” Under the agreement, North Shore-LIJ “will participate in voluntary EPA environmental stewardship programs."
“Medical professionals work every day to improve health of people they serve, and the environmentally sound practices in this agreement will help them create a healthier environment for all,” said EPA Regional Administrator Judith Enck. “The eve of Earth Day is the perfect time to sign this comprehensive agreement between EPA and an entire healthcare network.”
Programs will be implemented at hospitals the health system has in Queens, Long Island and Staten Island. Through its Energy Conservation and EnergyStar Building and Plants Program, North Shore-LIJ will try to reduce its energy consumption by 10 percent or more.
A Solid Waste Recycling and WasteWise Program have already begun.
Another initiative will be to re-use landscaping and industrial materials when possible and recycled content for construction materials.
North Shore-LIJ will try to increase use of coal combustion products during construction. One instance of this is in the Katz Women’s Hospital, which is using cement that is 40 percent fly ash, a coal combustion product.
The system also has a Combined Heat and Power Partnership. Efforts will be made to enhance the combined heat and power plant on the campus of the LIJ Medical Center.
In addition, North Shore-LIJ will work to get LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certifications for construction projects. The health system already has 25 projects registered.
In Queens, two of the projects registered with the U.S. Green Building Council are the Zucker Hillside Hospital Inpatient Pavilion in Glen Oaks and Health Info Team-North Shore-LIJ at Citi Field.
“With a workforce of more than 38,000, the North Shore-LIJ Health System is the largest employer on Long Island and the ninth largest in New York City, we play a leading role not only by providing top-notch healthcare but promoting sustainable business practices to improve public health and minimize our impact on the environment,” said health system president and CEO Michael Dowling.
“Our collective actions make a tangible difference in terms of reducing greenhouse emissions, conserving energy, wisely using natural resources, and at the same time, benefit from significant cost savings,” Dowling continued.
