Website provides resources for planning and implementing sustainability initiatives
Chicago, IL — Three personal membership groups (PMGs) of the American Hospital Association (AHA) have teamed up to provide their members and others in the health care community access to information and tools that can help reduce the environmental footprint of health care facilities. The American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE), the Association for the Healthcare Environment (AHE) and the Association for Healthcare Resource & Materials Management AHRMM) have collaborated to produce a website, the Sustainability Roadmap for Hospitals (www.sustainabilityroadmap.org). The website provides background material, sample actions plans, target-setting and tracking tools and suggestions for specific steps health care organizations can take to improve their sustainability efforts and reduce the environmental impacts of their facilities and operations.
The Roadmap serves as a guide with a range of resources to support hospitals from Green Light project lists of relatively easy-to-accomplish steps to more in-depth performance improvement measures.
The new Roadmap website complements the AHA’s Executive Primer on Hospital Environmental Sustainability (www.hospitalsustainability.org) which was launched in July 2010. While the Primer provides health care executives with information about sustainability issues relevant to hospitals, the Roadmap is focused towards hospital managers and staff and the designers of health care facilities, providing them with information they can use in the field.
“Hospitals have long understood the special role they play as environmental stewards in their community,” said Rich Umbdenstock, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association. “Today’s launch of the Roadmap website will be a useful tool and one more
resource available to those striving to reduce their environmental footprint. We will also look to our members to contribute resources and lessons learned to further and promote the progress we have already made. “
The first phase of development for the Roadmap website is complete, but additional resources are planned for Phase 2. Roadmap users are encouraged to contribute suggestions, sample documents and case studies to add to the practical information available on the site. The Roadmap was developed by ASHE, AHE and AHRMM in conjunction with Mazzetti Nash Lipsey Burch, based in San Francisco.
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About AHA
The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals who are committed to the improvement of health in their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its membership, which includes more than 5,000 member hospitals, health systems, and other health care organizations, and 38,000 individual members. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends.
About ASHE
The American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) is a personal membership group of the American Hospital Association (AHA). ASHE represents a diverse network of 10,000 members dedicated to optimizing the health care physical environment. For information about ASHE, please visit www.ashe.org or call 312-422-3800.
About AHE
AHE represents, defines, and advances the professionals responsible for care of the patient environment to ensure quality patient outcomes and healthy communities. A professional membership group of the American Hospital Association, AHE serves more than 2,300 members. AHE provides education, networking and recognition for personal and professional achievements as well as collaboration with the AHA on public policy and advocacy issues related to the healthcare environment. Visit www.ahe.org for additional information.
About AHRMM
The Association for Healthcare Resource & Materials Management is the leading national association for executives in the healthcare resource and materials management profession. A professional membership group of the American Hospital Association, AHRMM serves more than 4,000 active members. Founded in 1962, AHRMM prepares its members to contribute to the field and advance the profession through networking, education, recognition, and advocacy. For more information, visit www.ahrmm.org.
