Inova Health System Joins the Healthier Hospitals Initiative

Inova Commits to Reducing Its Environmental Footprint and Improving Health Outcomes

Falls Church, VA – (May 6, 2011) – Inova Health System is proud to announce that it has joined the Healthier Hospitals Initiative (HHI), an effort to propel the healthcare sector toward environmental sustainability and improved patient care.

“Inova is proud to be a member of HHI in our quest to become a more environmentally responsible healthcare system,” said Randy Kelley, CEO, Inova Loudoun Hospital and Chair, Inova Sustainability Committee.  “Hospitals face unique challenges when it comes to reducing energy and waste, and through this partnership we hope to advance healthcare into better environmental stewardship, benefitting both our patients and staff.”

The HHI is made up of six other healthcare systems and partners with Practice Greenhealth, Health Care Without Harm and the Center for Health Design. Together, they have developed an agenda that outlines specific activities hospitals can take to reduce their environmental footprint and improve patient outcomes. The agenda includes reducing chemical use, employing green building practices, lowing energy consumption, generating less waste and instituting recycling programs.

“Inova Health System is a Practice Greenhealth System for Change award winner and a leader in making sustainability changes in their own operations to improve environmental performance, support patient and employee safety and reduce healthcare costs,” said Anna Gilmore Hall, Executive Director, Practice Greenhealth. “Inova’s commitment strengthens our effort to protect the health of patients, staff and the community.”

Learn more about the Healthier Hospitals Initiative at www.healthierhospitals.org.

Inova Health System is a not-for-profit healthcare system based in Northern Virginia that consists of hospitals and other health services, including emergency- and urgent-care centers, home care, nursing homes, mental health and blood donor services, and wellness classes. Governed by a voluntary board of community members, Inova’s mission is to improve the health of the diverse community it serves through excellence in patient care, education and research. Inova provides a healthy environment for its patients, families, visitors, staff and physicians by prohibiting tobacco use on its campuses.

Health Care Without Harm, an international coalition of more than 473 organizations in 52 countries, is working to transform the health care sector, without compromising patient safety or care, so that it is ecologically sustainable and no longer a source of harm to public health and the environment.  To learn more about HCWH’s work, visit our website at www.noharm.org, our YouTube channel at HCwithoutHarm, and out twitter feed  @hcwithoutharm.

Practice Greenhealth is the nation’s leading membership and networking organization for institutions in the healthcare community that have made a commitment to sustainable,
eco-friendly practices. Members include hospitals, healthcare systems, businesses and other stakeholders engaged in the greening of healthcare to improve the health of patients, staff
and the environment. For more information on Practice Greenhealth, visit www.practicegreenhealth.org.