For Fourth Year in a Row
April 21, 2017, Hackensack, NJ – In recognition for groundbreaking achievement and innovation in health care sustainability, Hackensack Meridian Health Hackensack University Medical Center received the Top 25 Environmental Excellence Award from Practice Greenhealth, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to environmental sustainability in health care. The award is one of the Environmental Excellence Awards given each year to honor environmental achievements in the health care sector.
“I want to congratulate Deirdre Imus and our entire sustainability team at The Deirdre Imus Environmental Health Center® for their unwavering commitment to preserving the environment for generations to come,” said Ihor S. Sawczuk, M.D., president of Hackensack University Medical Center. “Sustainability at Hackensack University Medical Center is a force to be reckoned with as a result of a truly collaborative effort. We are proud to be recognized for our commitment to the health and safety of our patients and team members, environment and surrounding community.”
Additionally, Hackensack University Medical Center has been selected as a Circles of Excellence Award winner in four categories.
The award honors hospitals for outstanding performance in one specific area, such as reducing use of toxic chemicals or sourcing food sustainably. These awards highlight hospitals that are pushing the envelope and driving innovation in sustainability performance in each sustainability category. There can be up to 10 designees selected for each Circle of Excellence category.
Hackensack University Medical Center was awarded for:
Engaged Leadership (third year in a row)
Safer Chemicals (third year in a row)
Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (third year in a row)
Sustainable/Healthier Foods (first year)
“Sustainability is an important part of our culture at Hackensack University Medical Center and I’ve been working with leaders throughout the system to spread these practices,” said Kyle Tafuri, director, Sustainability, The Deirdre Imus Environmental Health Center® at Hackensack University Medical Center. “These awards highlight the heightened awareness of our team members and overall promotion of good health through sustainability. It continues to be an important goal of our entire team.”
Hackensack University Medical Center, in collaboration with The Deirdre Imus Environmental Health Center®, is committed to identifying, controlling, and ultimately preventing the toxic exposures in the environment that threaten the health and well-being of children, their families and the community.
"I am so proud of our hospital and our center for earning this prestigious and well-deserved distinction for the fourth year in a row," said Deirdre Imus, president and founder of The Deirdre Imus Environmental Center® at Hackensack University Medical Center. "Sustainability is key to ensuring the health of our patients and our planet, and we are constantly looking for new ways to innovate and build on our previous accomplishments."
The award will be presented at the Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellence Awards Gala, set for May 18th in Minneapolis, MN at the conclusion of the CleanMed Conference & Exhibition.
About Hackensack Meridian Health Hackensack University Medical Center
Hackensack Meridian Health Hackensack University Medical Center, a 775-bed nonprofit teaching and research hospital located in Bergen County, NJ, is the largest provider of inpatient and outpatient services in the state. Founded in 1888 as the county’s first hospital, it is a part of the Hackensack Meridian Health family, one of the largest networks in the state comprised of 28,000 team members and more than 6,000 physicians. Hackensack University Medical Center was listed as the number one hospital in New Jersey in U.S. News & World Report’s 2016-17 Best Hospital rankings - maintaining its place atop the NJ rankings since the rating system was introduced. It was also named one of the top four New York Metro Area hospitals. Hackensack is one of only five major academic medical centers in the nation to receive Healthgrades America’s 50 Best Hospitals Award for five or more years in a row. Becker’s Hospital Review has listed Hackensack University Medical Center as one of the 100 Great Hospitals in America for 2017. Hackensack University Medical Center is one of the top 25 green hospitals in the country according to Practice Greenhealth, and received 25 Gold Seals of Approval™ by The Joint Commission – more than any other hospital in the country. It was the first hospital in New Jersey and second in the nation to become a Magnet® recognized hospital for nursing excellence; receiving its fifth consecutive designation in 2014. Hackensack University Medical Center has created an entire campus of award-winning care, including: the John Theurer Cancer Center; the Heart & Vascular Hospital; and the Sarkis and Siran Gabrellian Women’s and Children’s Pavilion, which houses the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital and Donna A. Sanzari Women’s Hospital, which was designed with The Deirdre Imus Environmental Health Center® and listed on the Green Guide’s list of Top 10 Green Hospitals in the U.S. Hackensack University Medical Center is the Hometown Hospital of the New York Giants and the New York Red Bulls and is the Official Medical Services Provider to The Northern Trust PGA Golf Tournament. It remains committed to its community through fundraising and community events especially the Tackle Kids Cancer Campaign providing much needed research at the Children’s Cancer Institute housed at the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital. To learn more, visit www.HackensackMeridian.org.
About the Deirdre Imus Environmental Health Center®
The Deirdre Imus Environmental Health Center® at Hackensack Meridian Health Hackensack University Medical Center represents one of the first hospital-based programs whose specific mission is to identify, control and ultimately prevent toxic exposures in the environment that threaten our children’s health. The mission is accomplished through education, research and implementation. Since 2001, the Center has helped Hackensack University Medical Center become one of the first hospitals in the country to implement green cleaning practices, which was just the beginning of their sustainable journey. Since then, the Center helped the hospital reduce waste, minimize the use of hazardous materials, limit patient and employee exposure to dangerous toxins, prevent pollution, serve healthier foods, and more.
The Center’s Sustainability program is strategically aligned with the overall mission of the medical center; to create a healthier environment for patients, team members and community.
This program has resulted in national recognition for Hackensack University Medical Center as a leader in healthcare sustainability. For the past four consecutive years, Hackensack University Medical Center has earned the Top 25 Environmental Excellence Award from Practice Greenhealth and for the past three consecutive years, the medical center has earned the 50 Greenest Hospitals Award by Becker’s Hospital Review.
About Practice Greenhealth
Practice Greenhealth is the nation’s leading health care community dedicated to transforming health care worldwide so that it reduces its environmental footprint, becomes a community anchor for sustainability and a leader in the global movement for environmental health and justice. To learn more about Practice Greenhealth visit www.practicegreenhealth.org.