The Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care is proud to announce that we have received the 2017 ENERGY STAR Advocate of the Year Award. This is the second time we have won this award - the first was in 2015. Read the press release here. For a full list of winners, and a list of previous years’ winners, click  here.

New Report Advances Hospital & Community Climate Resilience. The connnection between health care institutions and communities they serve is especially critical during and after extreme weather events. Health Care Without Harm convened a summit to catalyze climate action planning for metro Boston with more than 100 health care service providers and community stakeholders. In addition to providing updates on the interconnected climate resiliency initiatives happening within the area, the one-day event fostered a new dialogue about the role of the health care sector in anchoring community health and resilience. Summit outcomes detailed in  this report are relevant beyond Boston and address health care sector engagement in climate public policy, a business case for climate-resilient health care, innovative solutions to backup and reliable power generation for health care facilities and community providers, and developing partnership networks. Click here to access the Coalition's climate change resiliency resources. 

US Health Experts Call On Hospitals To Serve Vegan Food. US health experts are calling on hospitals to serve plant-based meals and to cut out processed meats.

The American Medical Association - the largest association of physicians and medical students in the United States - wants to see an improvement in the health of patients, staff, and visitors, and has adopted a resolution to that end. The AMA's House of Delegates believes this can be achieved by providing a variety of healthy food - including plant-based meals and meals that are low in fat, sodium, and added sugars, eliminating processed meats from menus, and providing and promoting healthy drinks. The resolution was co-sponsored by the Medical Society of the District of Columbia and the American College of Cardiology. Read more.

AHA guide offers proven hospital approaches to reducing food insecurity. A new  guide from the AHA’s Health Research & Educational Trust offers hospitals and health systems strategic and evidence-based approaches to reducing food insecurity and its effects in their communities. The inability to afford or access nutritious and safe food has been associated with increased risk for chronic disease and mental illness and poor health self-management. The guide spotlights clinical and non-clinical approaches to reducing food insecurity, such as Arkansas Children’s Hospital’s on-site free lunch program, Boston Medical Center’s Preventive Food Pantry, Eskenazi Health’s partnership with Meals on Wheels, and ProMedica’s food insecurity screening survey. Read more..

Hospital Microgrids Become an Integral Part of the Energy Value Chain. While the welfare of patients, safety of staff, and comfort of visitors remain top priorities, today,  leadership extends beyond healthcare to environmental sustainability. The evolution in  microgrid technology is making it possible to produce reliable, critical power, more efficiently and for less money. A microgrid manages distributed energy assets on a campus to optimize usage, joining traditional generators, renewable energy sources, energy storage and load. These local interconnected energy systems have evolved from mainly being used for backup to becoming an interactive component of the energy value chain. Read more.

Designing hospitals for the millennial generation. The millennial generation is all grown up. The youngest millennials are heading into their 20s, the oldest are in their mid-30s. Individuals in this demographic, which has overtaken the baby boomers as the largest age cohort in the U.S., not only are making decisions about their own health care, they are driving care decisions for their children and parents. To serve the needs of this large and influential segment of the health care market, providers and designers are looking to create facilities built for a new generation. Read more.

ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager Data Snapshots are coming! Ever wondered how many buildings are registered in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager? Are you aware of the energy benchmarking trends within your province or territory? Soon you will be able to find out all sorts of valuable data through the new series of  ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager Data Snapshots. The Snapshots will provide you with up-to-date statistics on the buildings entered into Portfolio Manager.  Learn more.

Boston Medical Center Joins Health Care Climate Council. Displaying continued commitment to the health of its patients, colleagues, and community,  Boston Medical Center (BMC) has signed on as the newest member of the  Health Care Climate Council. Established by Health Care Without Harm, the Health Care Climate Council is a leadership network of hospitals committed to strengthening the health sector’s response to climate change. Read more.

The countless benefits of energy benchmarking. Investments in well-built, zero or nearly-zero energy buildings will generate long-term economic, health and environmental benefits for Canadians. The time to invest in energy-efficient buildings is now, with easy-to-use tools and resources to help building owners and managers readily accessible. According to  research, for every $1 million invested in energy efficiency, $3 to 4 million is generated in economic growth. Energy-efficient buildings are more comfortable and healthier for occupants, thanks to better air quality and reduced mold and drafts. This results in lower vacancies, increased resale value, higher tenant retention, and greater portfolio value. Read more.

CaGBC launches Zero Carbon Building Standard. 

In an effort to help meet Canada’s climate change commitments, the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) has launched the country’s first Zero Carbon Building Standard. The highly-anticipated Standard evaluates carbon use in commercial, institutional and multi-family buildings in Canada. In order to achieve large-scale market transformation, it was designed for application across many types of new and existing buildings across the country. The Zero Carbon Building Standard is also the only program of its kind to list carbon reductions as the key indicator for building performance. Read more.

This webinar will continue the discussion about the application of Fault Detection and Diagnostics (FDD) in hospital facilities. Uncovering and correcting operations, maintenance and controls inefficiencies in HVAC systems has been responsible for millions of dollars in savings achieved by Greening Health Care members over the years. The FDD software finds the opportunities for you – continuously and automatically.

This session brings together users and FDD service providers to examine the technology, performance improvements achieved and how the reporting has been integrated into organizational response to fault correction.

• Hospital Members and Sponsors:  Free - RSVP to gstott@trca.on.ca, 416.661.6600 ext. 5590
  
• Non-Member Hospital, Government and Utility Companies: $50.00 + taxes Register.
  
• Other Industry Participants: $125.00 + taxes Register.
  

www.greeninghc.com

Key individuals representing over 400 healthcare facilities will be in attendance at this conference and networking event for health care professionals. Delegates include individuals who are directly involved in, or responsible for plant engineering, safety, real estate management, facilities management, facilities planning, support services, building maintenance, construction, environmental management, clinical engineering, security, and waste management.

For more information, click here.

Register HERE.

Register HERE.

Register before July 15th and be entered to WIN:
One Free Weekend @ Blue Mountain Resort
Includes Lodging for Two