(Chicago, IL) The Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council (MCHC) has established a partnership with Practice Greenhealth (PGH), a non-profit, membership-based organization, dedicated to the reduction of the healthcare industry’s environmental impact through education, training and advocacy. PGH currently works with over 1,000 hospital members throughout the U.S. The new partnership was created to mutually support environmentally sustainable health care operations and green building practices via education and training to be provided to MCHC’s membership.

Practice Greenhealth provides resources, tools and programs that have been developed specifically for hospitals to use in their sustainability quest. PGH provides implementation support for the Green Guide for Healthcare, which sets guidance for sustainable building and operations. PGH also makes available its Greenhealth Tracker^TM, a web-based waste management tool that analyzes waste management streams and identifies areas for waste reduction and cost savings. The organization’s Health Care Clean Energy Exchange (HCEE), a reverse-auction energy purchasing platform, brings energy suppliers together to bid on hospital’s energy contract, allowing competitive pricing and the opportunity to purchase “clean” energy. The PGH Environmental Purchasing Program (EPP) helps hospitals work with its suppliers and purchasing organizations to identify sustainable products and safer alternatives to cleaners and other chemical-based supplies and services.

By providing training, resources and tools and educating and mentoring hospitals on the best health care environmental practices necessary to reduce their impact on climate change and the environment, it is the intention of this partnership to advance a model for environmental leadership in the health care industry in Illinois.

“This partnership will facilitate the efforts of both organizations to help Illinois hospitals become environmentally sustainable,” stated Bob Jarboe, executive director of Practice Greenhealth. “We hope that participating hospitals can then pass along their experiences to other hospitals and health systems across the country.”

Together MCHC and PGH will host workshops and educational events supporting sustainable health care operations and building guidelines for MCHC members. Richard Palmer, MCHC director of facilities and sustainability, commented, “This partnership is a perfect extension of MCHC’s sustainability efforts. PGH’s national presence and resources will provide our membership with the latest industry intelligence and best practices.” PGH will extend a 20 percent discount to MCHC members on PGH membership, educational webinars, and PGH’s Greenhealth Tracker™, a web-based, waste management tracking system.