Conservation

Executive Summary: Environmental Conservation and Sustainability

An important aspect of social responsibility is using resources wisely. Our commitment to our stakeholders includes an obligation to minimize our impact on the environment through conservation, careful planning for the use of our resources and "green" initiatives. We want to create a legacy of health in our community and a cleaner environment for the generations to come.

Environmental conservation and sustainability is an emerging issue at Adventist Health Simi Valley, as it is at most hospitals nationwide. While we are just beginning to organize and formalize our environmental policies and activities, we have already made some significant progress. Highlights of that progress include:

• The Green Team—This group leads our recycling and conservation efforts and is charged with setting environmental goals for Adventist Health Simi Valley, spearheading initiatives to reduce the amount of landfill waste the hospital generates and planning for the conservation of natural resources in a variety of other ways.
• Recycling—In September 2010, we launched an organization-wide recycling program, with the placement of more than 200 collection containers throughout all areas of the hospital. The recycling program joins ongoing efforts to collect used batteries and burnt-out fluorescent bulbs. The hospital is also exploring the possibility of recycling used cooking oil from the hospital's kitchen for use as biodiesel fuel.
• Green construction—Environmentally friendly features in our Patient Care Tower include a reflective roof, energy-efficient lighting fixtures, occupancy sensors that dim lights when no one is in the room, and large windows that fill patient rooms with natural light. In addition, our newest boilers save us $40,000 a year in energy costs while providing heat and hot water for a wide variety of uses. Green features will be built into all new construction at the hospital.
• Responsible purchasing—Whenever possible, we choose recyclable and reusable products for use throughout our facility.