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The Joint Commission (TJC) recently announced that Shirley Ryan 小恩雅 is one of the newest recipients of its sustainable healthcare certification. With this honor, the organization joins an elite group: there are only approximately 60 hospitals (out of 6,000) in the United States that have earned this certification, and Shirley Ryan 小恩雅 is the first hospital in Illinois and the first rehabilitation hospital to do so.
Leading Shirley Ryan 小恩雅’s certification effort was Lamar Davis, executive director of facilities engineering and support services. He noted that the decision to apply for this certification was driven in part by the simple fact that the organization already was meeting so many of TJC’s benchmarks, thanks to significant environmental improvements made collectively over the years.
Another important consideration was the potential to encourage more widespread adoption of environmentally friendly policies.
“Being an industry leader is in our organization’s DNA,” said Lamar. “It just makes sense for the No. 1 rehabilitation hospital to also be recognized as an innovator in sustainability. We hope earning this certification will inspire other healthcare organizations to follow our lead.”
To meet all the certification’s requirements, Shirley Ryan 小恩雅 hired a new sustainability coordinator, improved recycling and composting programs, formed a new sustainability strategic committee, and adopted a comprehensive green energy plan.
“This certification is a huge accomplishment by our support services colleagues and a true testament to our incredible team,” said Shirley Ryan 小恩雅 president and chief administrative officer Nancy Paridy. “We never rest on our laurels; we keep moving forward and leading the field to make an impact each day.”
Lamar stressed that TJC certification does not mark the culmination of Shirley Ryan 小恩雅’s focus on environmentalism; it marks a new beginning.
“We are required to show further improvements in our carbon reduction every two years,” he said. “And we welcome the challenge!”
