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Spectrum Health has been awarded the System for Change Award by Practice Greenhealth. This award is one of the organization’s Environmental Excellence Awards given each year to honor outstanding environmental achievements in the health care sector.

“Implementing best practices in our sustainability, efficiency and environmental efforts is one way we demonstrate our commitment to be good stewards of our community’s resources,” said Tina Freese-Decker, President, Hospital Group, Spectrum Health. “This award recognizes the efforts of the many employees who embrace that commitment by reducing energy use, using local growers for food sources and eliminating waste from our facilities, all of which substantially impact the community and the environment.”

According to Practice Greenhealth, awards highlight health care organizations that are charting new territory and revolutionizing sustainability in health care.

“Spectrum Health has taken great strides since our sustainability program started in 2007 and we continue to focus on improving human health, protecting the natural environment and practicing fiscal responsibility,” said Sarah Chartier, sustainability manager, Spectrum Health.

As a health system, Spectrum Health received a total of 11 Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellence Awards.

• The System for Change Award honors health systems that are working cohesively to gather data, set system goals, benchmark and share successes in environmental performance. System for Change Award winners have at least five hospitals or long-term care facilities and joined Practice Greenhealth as a health system.
  Received by: Spectrum Health
• The Circle of Excellence Award is given to hospitals for outstanding performance in one specific topic area.
  Received by: Blodgett Hospital for the category of Leadership
• The Emerald Partner for Change Award recognizes health care facilities that have achieved improvements in their mercury elimination, waste reduction, recycling and source reduction programs—above and beyond the Partner for Change criteria.
  Received by: Blodgett Hospital and Butterworth Hospital
• The Partner for Change Award recognizes health care facilities that continuously improve and expand upon their mercury elimination, waste reduction, recycling and source reduction programs. At a minimum, facilities applying for this award must be recycling 15 percent of their total waste, have reduced regulated medical waste, are well along the way to mercury elimination, and have developed other successful pollution prevention programs in many different areas.
  Received by: Big Rapids Hospital, Gerber Memorial Hospital, Kelsey Hospital, United Hospital, Reed City Hospital and Zeeland Community Hospital
• The Partner Recognition Award is presented to health care facilities that have begun to work on environmental improvements, have achieved some progress, and have at least a 10 percent recycling rate for their total waste stream.
  Received by: Ludington Hospital

About Practice Greenhealth
Practice Greenhealth is the nation’s leading health care community that empowers its members to increase their efficiencies and environmental stewardship while improving patient safety and care through tools, best practices and knowledge. To learn more about Practice Greenhealth visit www.practicegreenhealth.org.

About Spectrum Health
Spectrum Health is a not-for-profit health system, based in West Michigan, offering a full continuum of care through the Spectrum Health Hospital Group, which is comprised of 12 hospitals, including Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital; 180 ambulatory and service sites; 1,300 physicians and advanced practice providers, which include 1,100 members of the Spectrum Health Medical Group; and Priority Health, a health plan with more than 600,000 members. Spectrum Health is West Michigan’s largest employer, with 22,500 employees. The organization provided $294.6 million in community benefit during its 2014 fiscal year. Spectrum Health is the only health system in Michigan to be named one of the nation’s 15 Top Health Systems® by Truven Health Analytics for 2015. This is the fourth time the organization has received this recognition.