In the Community

February 22, 2007

Going for the Green

Kaiser Permanente hailed as leader in environmental stewardship, 'green' building

Oakland, Calif.—Kaiser Permanente, long a "green" leader, is finding creative new ways to reduce its impact on the environment as it pursues one of the largest hospital construction initiatives on record.

KP's most important environmental efforts involve the development and construction of so-called green buildings, or facilities designed to operate with maximum energy efficiency while reducing the impact of pollutants.

Kaiser Permanente's massive construction requirements — the organization is investing approximately $24 billion in approximately 4,000 current and upcoming construction projects between now and 2014 - create an enormous opportunity to pioneer green construction, experts say.

One current project, the Modesto Medical Center, recently earned national recognition as one of the greenest health care projects in North America. Even before the work on the facility is completed, it is being hailed as a model for future hospital construction.

Permeable pavement materials that filter chemicals from rainwater runoff, carpets backed with leftover film from recycled safety glass and toilets fitted to conserve water are just a few of the many environmentally friendly elements in the revolutionary Modesto design.

"Thanks to the hospital templates and standards created by Kaiser Permanente's National Facilities Services department and their willingness to wholeheartedly pursue green building activity, KP has truly taken a leadership role in green building practices for the health care industry,'' says Lynn Garske, KP Environmental Stewardship project manager.

The green-building initiative extends to all Kaiser Permanente regions. Within the last few years, 56 Kaiser Facilities nationwide have received prestigious environmental awards as part of the Hospitals for a Healthy Environment program.

KP's purchasing muscle with green-building product manufacturers also promises to have a major impact across the entire construction industry, notes Tom Cooper, Kaiser Permanente's program lead of Design and Construction Standards and chair of the High Performance Buildings Committee, KP's green buildings leadership group.

"Because the safer, healthier products don't exist out there in the market, KP is in a position to create market transformation, due to our size and demand,'' Cooper says.

Beyond its commitment to environmentally friendly construction, KP also has made significant progress in reducing the creation of harmful pollutants and waste. For example, a number of Kaiser Permanente facilities in California received recognition from the California Integrated Waste Management Board throughout the 1990s, for their unique and comprehensive programs aimed at cutting hazardous and solid waste.

In addition, 28 Kaiser medical centers were recognized by the California Environmental Production Agency for their efforts to eliminate mercury and to ensure that the toxic chemical doesn't reenter the equipment and supply chain.

Kaiser Permanente also has been active in identifying community health risks posed by pollution. In the 1990s, KP researchers working with state officials completed a groundbreaking study showing that increases in daily levels of fine particle pollution in Southern California were closely associated with increases in hospital admissions for respiratory problems.

KP's overall environmental efforts are directed by the organization's Environmental Stewardship Council, a group of leaders from across the organization who came together in 2001 to align the organization around a simple vision: Provide health care services in a manner that protects and enhances the environment and health of communities now and for future generations.

Along with green building and environmentally responsible purchasing, the stewardship program focuses on sustainable operations and energy conservation, transportation systems management, healthy food systems and chemical policies.

"Our council's vision is leveraged nationally, thanks to the support from our leaders,'' says Garske. "Because of them, we have the resources, systems and infrastructure to make a profound difference in our environmental practices. But the real stewards of KP's environmental practices are our employees and physicians who make those differences at the local level."