Our responsibility to the environment
HCA Florida Healthcare’s responsibility to our environment
At HCA Florida Healthcare, our dedication to improving more lives in more ways is directly connected to the impact we have on the environment, and how the environment impacts the well-being of our patients, colleagues and communities.
As a part of HCA Healthcare, our environmental strategy guides our efforts to prepare and execute short- and long-term sustainability plans that are centered on incorporating the following four key pillars into our operations:
- Managing energy and water responsibly
- Enhancing climate resilience
- Sourcing and consuming efficiently
- Managing the environmental impact of our capital programs
The term “capital programs” is associated with our work to reduce carbon emissions, waste and other environmental impacts from new construction, retrofits and expansions. When undertaking these projects our organization considers aspects of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification program including, but not limited to: operational efficiency, energy efficiency, construction waste management, water efficiency and transportation access.
LEED certification, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the most widely used green building rating system in the world and serves as an international symbol of excellence.
Florida’s first “green” hospital
UCF Lake Nona Hospital is one of only 28 LEED-certified hospitals in the country and the only Gold Certified hospital in the Sunshine State. The hospital saves more than 21% in annual energy costs compared to standard design practices. It received the certification because it excels in not just one, but several, different areas of sustainability. Those areas include:
- Decreasing CO2 emissions: UCF Lake Nona Hospital has 34% lower CO2 emissions than non-LEED certified buildings in the United States, which account for almost 40% of national CO2 emissions.
- Implementing energy saving LED lights
- Establishing an on-site recycling program
- Improving air quality through ventilation that makes use of the natural air outside of the building
- Sustainably sourcing construction materials and eco-friendly furniture
Reducing water use: UCF Lake Nona Hospital has conserved more than the equivalent of nearly 6 million bottles of drinking water per year. One unique facility practice was the development of native landscaping, which has reduced the facility’s water consumption by nearly 600,000 gallons of water
Conserving water and natural gas through green laundry practices
HCA Florida Healthcare works to reduce water consumption by decreasing water used for cooling operations, installing water-efficient fixtures in our facilities and exploring opportunities through pilot programs.
15 HCA Florida Healthcare hospitals decreased their water consumption by changing to green laundry practices. The facilities, located within HCA Healthcare West Florida Division, have conserved 63% of their annual laundry water waste when compared to the healthcare industry’s standard water consumption.
These green laundry practices have included an installation of continuous batch washing systems and a waste heat reclamation system to reduce the consumption of both water and natural gas. Using this method, the 125-degree wastewater that is discharged from the washers is pumped through a heat exchanger that transfers its energy to the incoming fresh water. This is heat energy that would normally go down the drain, minimizing not only water, but natural gas expenses — saving 1.9 million cubic feet of natural gas annually at each of its nine processing facilities.
Practice Greenhealth awards
Practice Greenhealth is the nation’s leading resource for environmentally friendly practices in healthcare. Asa member of Practice Greenhealth, HCA Florida Healthcare facilities benefit from an enterprise-wide sustainability task force that examines operations in four areas: construction and major renovation, energy and water, waste stream and environmentally preferable purchasing. As a result of these efforts, 17 of our facilities have earned recognition for environmental excellence in the Making Medicine Mercury Free category.
Each award is a top standard of excellence in sustainability within healthcare. The Making Medicine Mercury Free category reflects the hospital’s work to virtually eliminate the use of mercury and establish guidelines to prevent future use of it.