US Environmental Protection Agency Gives Southampton Hospital High Marks

Southampton, NY—Southampton Hospital has been recognized by the US Environmental Protection Agency for its ongoing effort to reduce the impact the Hospital has on the environment.  Its most recent Environmental Assessment Report noted that the Hospital reduced its carbon footprint by 95% in just the last 6 months.  The total MTCO2e reduction is now at 4,243 tons (the equivalent to reducing emissions from 23 railcars worth of coal) for a saving of $95,000 to the Hospital. Like any hospital, Southampton’s energy consumption is considerable and costly.  Two years ago, Hospital administration initiated a “Green Team” to address the issue with a goal of reducing the environmental impact across its numerous departments.  The effort has proven to be very successful. In addition, Southampton Hospital was awarded the Environmental Excellence Award from Sterilmed Inc., a Minnesota-based health care cost containment company and leading reprocessor of single-use medical devices.  Reprocessing is proven to not only decrease the magnitude of waste sent to landfills, but also reduce the cost of providing safe and effective medical devices to patients. Sterilmed honors top facilities and systems throughout the country, and Southampton Hospital has been recognized as a Best Practice facility for its superior accomplishments in reducing environmental impact and improving overall health care sustainability.  This program alone saves the Hospital in excess of $80,000 annually. Operating Room and Central Supply staffs were specially trained by Sterilmed and are instrumental in maintaining this recycling program.