Inova Health System Releases First GRI Sustainability Report

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Seema Wadhwa
June 20, 2013
703.405.8758

Inova releases third annual Sustainability Report, meets internationally accepted standards for transparency in reporting

(Falls Church, Virginia) – (July 1, 2013) – As a leader and innovator in the field of healthcare sustainability, Inova Health System is committed to sharing information about how sustainability principles are being integrated into its operations and culture.

Inova is proud to announce the release of its third annual Sustainability Report, Making an Impact for the Future. The report details Inova’s 2012 sustainability performance, sharing information about the healthcare organization’s environmental, economic and social impacts.

The 2012 Sustainability Report was written in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative’s G3.1 Guidelines for transparency in reporting. It meets the GRI’s Level C requirements for disclosures of information about Inova’s strategy, governance and sustainability performance in the 2012 fiscal year. The GRI Content Index provides a map of where these disclosures are shared within the report and other published materials.

In addition to meeting the reporting requirements of the GRI framework, the Making an Impact for the Future report provides a detailed assessment of Inova’s 2012 system-wide performance across several key sustainability impact areas, including waste, energy, water, purchasing, food, transportation, buildings, healthcare IT and community. Highlights include:

• Recycling over 3 million pounds of materials – the weight of about 1,000 hippos
• Reducing 237,000 pounds of regulated medical waste between 2011 and 2012
• Winning Practice Greenhealth’s Greening the OR Video Competition with “The Recycle Mash”
• Presenting about Inova’s sustainability program on a White House panel on “Greening America’s Hospitals”
• Partnering with Fairfax County DOT to launch an Employee Commuter Shuttle Bus
• Conducting a landmark survey to benchmark employee engagement in Inova’s sustainability program
• Hosting second annual Project Blue Wrap eco-friendly fashion design competition as part of DC Fashion Week’s Eco-Fashion Show

About Inova Health System
Inova is a not-for-profit healthcare system based in Northern Virginia that consists of hospitals and other health services. 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 recognizes that being a world-class healthcare provider involves caring for our environment, in addition to caring for our patients. We understand the health of our environment affects the health of our patients and community, and acknowledge that green initiatives and sustainability programs need to encompass three basic tenets: ecology, economy and social equity. The programs we design and implement are designed to seek a balance among these tenets. For more information visit: www.inova.org/sustainability.