LUTHERAN HEALTHCARE AWARDED FOR “GREENING THE SUPPLY CHAIN”

LUTHERAN HEALTHCARE AWARDED FOR "GREENING THE SUPPLY CHAIN"
Greater New York Hospital Association Recognizes Lutheran HealthCare for Dedication to Sustainability

December 18, 2009, Brooklyn, New York… Lutheran HealthCare has been named the recipient of the Greater New York Hospital Association's (GNYHA) 2009 Greening the Supply Chain Award. Recognizing LHC's dedication to implementing green initiatives, the GNYHA honor was presented to David Tomkins, senior vice president of Materials Management, and Jeffrey Sperling, vice president of Purchasing, who accepted this award on behalf of LHC at the GNYHA Services 2009 Fall Meeting.

In 2008, Lutheran HealthCare created a system wide Green Team to assist its facilities in operating in an environmentally sound manner. Green Team efforts have included encouraging recycling of paper, plastic and office supplies, offering a bike rack for employees who chose not to commute by car, working with local coffee vendors to offer discounts for staff members who bring their own reusable mugs, and examining product purchases and energy conservation methods. Most recently, LHC has been hard at work on a green project to retrofit lighting throughout the main medical center which is expected to reduce the carbon footprint by 1.8 million pounds a year and save energy and about $180,000 annually.

LHC's dedication to sustainability is not just an internal effort. Over the summer, LHC funded a green market on the hospital grounds for community members, offering them access to safe, fresh, nutritious, and affordable fruits and vegetables. Along with the benefits of locally grown produce, the fresh food provides obvious health benefits to the members of LHC's community.

In May, Lutheran joined Mayor Bloomberg's"PlaNYC Mayor's Challenge," his citywide goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent by 2030.

See photos from the award ceremony on our Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/lgnq3x.