News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 28, 2011

Contact: Deanna Martin dmartin@aha.org 312-422-3819

Four hospitals recognized for cutting energy consumption

CHICAGO – Four hospitals won recognition from the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) of the American Hospital Association for cutting their energy consumption more than 10 percent– an accomplishment that not only helps the environment but also saves hospitals money.

The recognition from ASHE is part of the Society’s Energy Efficiency Commitment (E2C) program, which encourages hospitals across the country to reduce their energy consumption by 10 percent or more in support of the goals of the Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR® Challenge. ASHE recognized the following hospitals this fall for their leadership in reducing energy consumption over a 12-month period:

• Baptist Hospital in Nashville, Tenn., reduced energy by 15 percent
• St. Francis Eastside in Greenville, S.C., reduced energy by 20 percent
• Aurora Medical Center in Oshkosh, Wis., reduced energy by 20 percent
• Bethesda North Hospital in Cincinnati, reduced energy by 15 percent

ASHE Executive Director Dale Woodin, CHFM, FASHE, said the E2C program is a chance to recognize hospitals’ efforts to save energy and money.

“Health care facility departments are often overlooked as a background function when things are running smoothly,” Woodin said. “But hospitals that have achieved the E2C award have gained great recognition, both within their organization and within their community.”

The four hospitals—which were recognized by ASHE as part of National Health Care Facilities and Engineering week from Oct. 23-29—used various strategies to save energy. Three of the facilities—Baptist Hospital, St. Francis Eastside and Bethesda North Hospital—were previously recognized through the program for lowering energy consumption and were recognized again this fall for saving even more energy.

Richard Miller, with the Aurora Medical Center, said his facility has worked to reduce energy by making changes that wouldn’t affect the quality of the environment for patients. “Our entire team is very passionate about energy reduction,” Miller said. “They’re coming up with ideas and always looking for ways to save energy.”

Bethesda North Hospital Engineering & Maintenance Manager Rich Hertlein said working with an energy consultant helped the hospital focus on its goals. “Our team understands our strategy and looks forward to helping our system sustain the gains we have already seen well into the future,” he said.

In South Carolina, Bon Secours St. Francis Health System CEO Mark S. Nantz said the health system has committed to reducing its environmental impact. “Receiving this award and reaching this milestone in energy savings is confirmation that we are on the right track,” he said.

Damian Skelton, director of facilities for Baptist Hospital, said the facility is proud to be recognized by ASHE. “To reduce our energy consumption, we’ve made changes in how we operate existing systems as well as investments in new power-saving equipment and controls,” Skelton said.  

Additional information on ASHE’s E2C initiative is available at http://www.ashe.org/e2c/. A list of E2C winners since the program began in 2006 is available at http://www.ashe.org/e2c/rec/awards.html.

About ASHE
ASHE is a personal membership group of the American Hospital Association. More than 10,500 members count ASHE as a key source of professional development, industry information, and advocacy, including representation on key issues that affect their work in the physical health care environment. For more information about ASHE, contact 312-422-3800 or visit www.ashe.org

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