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Change your opinions, keep to your principles; change your leaves, keep intact your roots.
-Victor Hugo
Green Hospital Scorecard (GHS) submissions closed
Thank you to all the health care providers that have submitted for this years Green Hospital Scorecard.

If you have any questions regarding your site's submission, please contact Dan at dan@greenhealthcare.ca.
Interior Health’s Healthy Communities team
British Columbia - Interior Health’s Healthy Communities team is exploring the development of a policy that would support community members to grow food on Interior Health institutional land. Interior Health is the regional health authority that covers the southern interior and south eastern part of British Columbia. The Healthy Communities team supports sustainable food security initiatives across their health region. They currently have a Terms of Reference that guides the internal process for approval of applications by community groups/individuals who are interested in growing food on institutional land. To move this project forward, they are exploring the development of a policy and are reaching out across Canada to gather information of other such initiatives. If you are aware of initiatives or policies that support community members growing food on health care institutional land and would like share, please contact with Jill Worboys, Public Health Dietitian, at   jill.worboys@interiorhealth.ca .
Food waste in healthcare infographic
Click here to view the full infographics.
Staff engagement leads to energy savings for Horizon Health Network
In just three years, Horizon Health Network cut its energy costs by $4.45 million and diverted 15,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases annually as a result of staff commitment and engagement, low-cost measures, and a facility-wide energy management system. The organization’s achievements also garnered it the 2016 Wayne McLellan Award of Excellence in Healthcare Facilities Management.

Horizon Health Network, based in New Brunswick and employing 12,400 people, operates 12 hospitals and more than 100 medical facilities, clinics and offices totalling 380,902 square metres and consuming 215 million ekWh. The Moncton Hospital and the Saint John Regional Hospital are the largest facilities in the organization’s portfolio.

Click here to read the full article.
ENERGY STAR annoucements
Earth Day (Sunday April 22) is quickly approaching and we need your help in protecting our planet.

Encourage your family, friends, colleagues and customers to be a “STAR” for the environment by taking a simple action to save energy: Swap out old incandescent bulbs to an ENERGY STAR certified LED bulb. Share our video “ How to choose LED bulbs 4 easy steps ” for some simple guidance.
Little oversight of high-GWP anesthetic gases
Anesthetics commonly used in medical, dental and veterinary surgery have global warming potential (GWP) ranging from 130 to 2,540 times greater than carbon dioxide (CO2), but are largely overlooked when greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are officially tallied. The gases — desflurane, isoflurane and sevoflurane — are not among the 31 listed in Ontario’s GHG  emissions reporting  regulation. Nor are health care facilities asked to account for anesthetics in the  carbon emissions calculations  that public sector entities must make as part of their mandated energy conservation and demand management plans.

Click here for the full article.
Solar Energy offers hope to some Puerto Rico Hospitals
In San Juan, the  specialty clinics  run by the University of Puerto Rico’s School of Medicine get more than 90,000 visits in a typical year. Patients come from all over the island, many of them without insurance. The clinics closed for almost a month after Maria and then reopened with limited services. Onsite generators couldn’t power all the facilities— as of November, the children’s psychiatry clinic was still closed.

Climate Change may increase heart attack risk
A new study suggests that large day-to-day swings in temperature are associated with significantly more myocardial infarctions (MIs).

Overall, the results showed the risk of MI increased by about 5% for every five-degree (Celsius) jump in temperature differential. Swings higher than 25 degrees were associated with a greater increase in heart attack rates, compared to a smaller increase with temperature swings of 10-25 degrees.

Click here to read the full article.
Cape hospitals turn to desalination‚ boreholes in water crisis
Private hospitals are not taking any chances regarding Western Cape premier Helen Zille’s promise that water supplies will be maintained to their facilities in the event of Day Zero.
The three biggest hospital groups — Netcare‚ Mediclinic and Life Healthcare — are investing heavily in alternative water supplies from the sea and underground so they can run independently of the municipal grid in an emergency. Many of the measures they are taking in Cape Town are being rolled out in other water-scarce regions‚ such as the Eastern Cape.

Read the full article here .
EVENTS AND WEBINARS
Launch of the Low Carbon Economy Challenge
Today at GLOBE conference the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change launched the Low Carbon Economy Challenge, a major new federal funding program. Environment and Climate Change Canada officials and other federal colleagues with funding programs will be holding information sessions across Canada starting the week of March 19.

The Challenge will provide more than $500 million for projects that will generate clean growth and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. All provinces, territories, businesses, municipalities, not-for-profit organizations, and Indigenous governments and organizations who meet eligibility criteria will be able to apply.
 
The dates, times and venues for information sessions are below. In addition to providing information about the Challenge, the sessions will include presentations from other government departments or programs, such as the Clean Growth Hub, Natural Resources Canada or Infrastructure Canada. We are aiming to target relevant programs to each location; as such, the additional presentations will vary. Where event details are yet to be confirmed the following website will post the details and it is also where you can learn more about the Low Carbon Economy Fund .

Hospitals are eligible to apply for the Low Carbon Fund Challenge.
 
For any questions please send them to the Low Carbon Economy Fund Secretariat at  ec.lcef-fefec.ec@canada.ca .
 
 
Low Carbon Economy Challenge Fund Information Sessions – Tentative Dates
-            Victoria, British Columbia on March 19
-            Vancouver, British Columbia on March 20
-            Iqaluit, Nunavut on March 21
-            Edmonton, Alberta on March 22
-            Moncton, New Brunswick on March 22
-            Calgary, Alberta on March 23
-            Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island on March 23
-            Toronto, Ontario on March 26
-            Montréal, Québec on March 27
-            Halifax, Nova Scotia on March 27
-            Ottawa, Ontario on March 28
-            St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador on March 28
-            Regina, Saskatchewan on April 3
-            Winnipeg, Manitoba on April 5
-            Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on April 6
-            Whitehorse, Yukon on April 10
-            Yellowknife, Northwest Territories on April 12
 
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Je suis ravi de vous informer qu’aujourd’hui, à la conférence GLOBE, l’honorable Catherine McKenna, la Ministre de l’Environnement et Changement climatique a lancé le Défi pour une économie à faibles émissions de carbone, un nouveau programme fédéral de financement de grande envergure. Des représentants de l’Environnement et Changement climatique Canada et d’autres programmes de financement fédéral tiendront des séances d'informations partout au Canada à partir de la semaine du 19 mars.
 
Le Défi fournira plus de 500 millions de dollars pour des projets qui généreront une croissance propre et réduiront les émissions de gaz à effet de serre. Les provinces, territoires, entreprises, municipalités, organismes sans but lucratif et gouvernements et organismes autochtones qui répondent aux critères d'admissibilité pourront présenter une demande.
 
J'ai également inclus ci-dessous les dates préliminaires des séances d'information. Les dates finales et les détails concernant le lieu et l’heure des séances d’information seront fournis une fois le Défi lancé. Je vous invite à nous rejoindre lors de la séance qui vous convient. N'hésitez pas à partager ces dates avec vos réseaux dès maintenant.
Les hôpitaux peuvent présenter une demande pour le Défi Fonds Carbone Faible.
 
Défi pour une économie à faibles émissions de carbone : dates préliminaires des séances d’information
- Victoria, Colombie-Britannique le 19 mars
- Vancouver, Colombie-Britannique le 20 mars
- Iqaluit, Nunavut le 21 mars
- Edmonton, Alberta le 22 mars
- Moncton, Nouveau-Brunswick le 22 mars
- Calgary, Alberta le 23 mars
- Charlottetown, Île-du-Prince-Édouard le 23 mars
- Toronto, Ontario le 26 mars
- Montréal, Québec le 27 mars
- Halifax, Nouvelle-Écosse le 27 mars
- Ottawa, Ontario le 28 mars
- St. John's, Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador le 28 mars
- Regina, Saskatchewan le 3 avril
- Winnipeg, Manitoba le 5 avril
- Saskatoon, Saskatchewan le 6 avril
- Whitehorse, Yukon le 10 avril
- Yellowknife, Territoires du Nord-Ouest le 12 avril
Canadian Conference on Physician Leadership
Canadian Conference on Physician Leadership
April 20-21, 2018 
JW Marriott PARQ Hotel, Vancouver, British Columbia


The 2018   Canadian Conference on Physician Leadership , co-hosted by Joule and the   Canadian Society of Physician Leaders  (CSPL) is a must-do.

Immerse yourself in our informative and inspiring conference to hear relevant keynote speakers and take away tools and techniques from a variety of interactive workshops (8 workshops run simultaneously both in the morning and afternoon over 2 days). Rub elbows and exchange ideas with your peers in the leadership community.


Featured presentation session: First do no harm: how physicians can lead the green health movement to heal the planet 
Presenter: Neil Ritchie, BSc., MHSA, Project Lead, Green Health Leader's Initiative, Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care, Halifax, N.S.
 


38th annual CHES Ontario Conference and Trade Show
CHES Ontario Conference and Trade Show
Sunday, June 3, 20189:00 AM 
Tuesday, June 5, 20181:30 PM
Blue Mountain, Jozo Weider Boulevard
The Blue Mountains, ON, L9Y Canada

The theme of this conference is "Targeting Challenges"

Creating an environment for efficient and effective delivery of health care

Click here to learn more about the upcoming 2018 CHES Ontario Conference and Trade Show.
National Health Leadership Conference 
National Health Leadership Conference
June 4-5, 2018  
St. John's, Newfoundland 

This conference is the largest national gathering of health system decision-makers in Canada including trustees, chief executive officers, directors, managers, department heads and other health leaders representing various sectors and professions in health regions, authorities and alliances, hospitals, long-term care organizations, public health agencies, community care, mental health and social services. As well, the conference draws participants from government, education and research organizations, professional associations, consulting firms and industry. 

Creating the winning conditions for change 

Download the comprehensive brochure here


Future conference dates: 
June 10-11, 2019 – Toronto, Ontario 
June 15-16, 2020 – Edmonton, Alberta
CleanMed 2018
CleanMed
May 7-9, 2018 | San Diego, California
Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina

CleanMed is the premier national environmental conference for leaders in health care sustainability who are on the leading edge of greening the health care sector. It’s the one time each year for businesses with environmentally preferable products and services or nutritious, sustainable foods to connect with the health care leaders who make purchasing decisions for their facilities. No other conference will connect you with the leaders at the forefront of implementing sustainability projects, green building design and environmentally preferable purchasing.
CHES National Conference
Smarter Infrastructure for Enhanced Patient Outcomes
 
CHES 2018 National Conference
September 16-18, 2018
St. John's Convention Centre
St John's. NL
 

Don't forget to book your booth for the CHES 2018 National Conference in St. John's NL, September 16-18, 2018.  
Space is limited in 2018 so reserve your booth today (if you have not already done so)! 


See ya da once!
Some articles referred to in the Digest make reference to services and/or product offerings from specific suppliers. The CCGHC recommends that readers research the service and product offerings available through a wider range of suppliers for comparison purposes and in keeping with public sector purchasing guidelines. These articles should not be interpreted as an endorsement of any product or service.
Do you have any photos or stories to share with The Green Digest? Please send them to Dan at dan@greenhealthcare.ca