Western Health has been named the recipient of the 2010 Canadian Healthcare Engineering Society (CHES) Wayne McLellan Award of Excellence in Facilities Management. The award was presented to Western Health representatives at the CHES National Trade Show held last week in Whistler, BC.
“We are pleased to have been the recipients of this award of excellence,” said Devon Goulding, Vice President of Finance and Decision Support. “This award is a real recognition of the teamwork within our facilities department and also throughout Western Health.We will continue to build upon the excellent work that has been done to reduce our carbon footprint in other areas.”
Western Health received the award for the extensive work it has completed on pollution prevention and environmental conservation throughout its facilities.
Through these initiatives, Western Health was able to achieve an annual emissions reduction of 1001.245 Tonnes of CO
2, 8.497 Tonnes of SO
2, and 0.898 Tonnes of NO
2 (oxides of Nitrogen). An estimated water reduction of 16,000 imperial gallons per day, and significant unnecessary volumes of consumables sent to landfill. This was achieved by successful planning, teamwork and a will to ensure that the patients, clients and residents receive the best health services possible, while becoming ecologically savvy.
Pollution prevention from within Western Memorial Regional Hospital was accomplished through waste reduction and system/equipment optimization which included a lighting retrofit, chillier replacement, boiler replacement, best practices facility maintenance management program, recycling of paper, replacement of water required medical vacuum/medical air system and cooler/freezer condensers, and operation of a high capacity garburator.
Western Health participates and communicates green messages both externally and internally, and has taken initiatives to enforce a no idling policy for vehicles located at entrances to our buildings, smoke free work environment policy, and a smoke free properties policy (inside, outside, everywhere) for all owned and leased properties which Western Health operates.
Finally Western Health has cultivated a Green Team to lead the charge in improving environmental quality. Its direction is to foster the reduction of waste, reuse and recycling of consumables.
The award is an annual award that is given to an organization that exemplifies success in facilities management practices and significant contributions to healthcare facilities management. CHES exists to help its members manage the environment which is essential for efficient and effective health care delivery.
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For more information, contact:
Heidi Staeben-Simmons, Director of Communications,
Western Health 709-637-5252