Press Releases: Georgia
March 5, 2007
Kaiser Permanente’s West Cobb Center Goes "Green"
ATLANTA —Kaiser Permanente’s newly opened West Cobb Medical Center is the plan’s first facility in Georgia that was built using an environmentally-conscious "green design."
Nationally, Kaiser Permanente has been in the forefront of integrating the green building movement into health care facilities for many years. Kaiser’s local design team followed its national headquarters’ green design principles in designing the West Cobb Medical Center.
"It makes sense for an organization that is focused on health to ensure that our buildings are safe for the environment and the people who occupy them. Green designed buildings help conserve energy as well as reduce indoor air quality problems and exposure to hazardous materials," said Phillip Ouellette, Facilities Services manager for Kaiser’s Georgia Region.
Some of the green products or methods used in constructing the West Cobb center include:
- Carpet made with Ethos backing, which is manufactured locally by C&A Floorcoverings in Dalton, Ga. This carpet features a PVC-free backing that was specially developed for Kaiser Permanente and is less toxic than PVC-based products.
- Nora rubber flooring, a product that replaces vinyl composition tile in all clinical areas, helps to reduce slips, trips and falls. This type of flooring also alleviates the need for waxing and stripping, which further reduces janitorial workers’ exposure to harmful chemicals as well as the possibility of harmful chemicals being released into the public sewer system.
- Automatic flush valves on toilets and automatic faucets that reduce water waste.
- Coreless toilet paper and touch-free automated paper towel dispensers that reduce excess paper waste. Additionally, toilet paper and paper towels are made from recycled paper.
- Energy management systems, which include state-of-the-art HVAC controls for temperature and start times, occupancy sensors in all clinical spaces and an overall lighting control system that adjusts lighting during daytime and evening hours. As a result, resources are conserved and utility-related expenses are reduced.
- Metal shingles made from recycled steel were used on the backside of the medical building. If Kaiser Permanente decides to expand this building in the future, these shingles can be removed and recycled or reused for other building materials.
- The building’s reflective TPO (thermoplastic polyolefin) roof is more environmentally friendly than traditional petroleum-based roofing products and reduces utility costs, while conserving resources.
- More than 100 newly planted trees (ranging from maples to crepe myrtles) surround the exterior landscape of the new West Cobb location, which was graded prior to Kaiser Permanente’s purchase.
"We will continually work to improve the environmental friendliness of our 12 existing medical facilities throughout metro Atlanta. We believe what's good for our environment is going to be good for our members, our employees, and the community as a whole," Ouellette said.
Kaiser Permanente’s West Cobb Medical Center opened in late February 2007, and is located at 3640 Tramore Pointe Parkway in Austell, Ga. The 26,000 square-foot medical center becomes the health plan’s third medical facility in Cobb County and the 13th facility in metro Atlanta. It is part of a $35 million project to increase access for Kaiser Permanente’s members and prospective members.
In addition to the West Cobb center, Kaiser Permanente is building medical facilities in two other metro area locations. A medical center near Stonecrest Mall in Lithonia off I-20 is expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2007 and a Northwest Gwinnett location in the Sugar Hill/Buford area is slated to open later this year. All three of these new facilities will feature elements of green design and construction, reflecting Kaiser Permanente’s commitment to environmentally state-of-the-art construction and materials.
Note to local reporters: An official ribbon-cutting ceremony at Kaiser Permanente’s West Cobb Medical Center takes place on Thursday, March 8, at 8 a.m. If you wish to attend the ceremony or to obtain a high resolution image of the facility, please contact Billy Auer at 404-869-5952.
Kaiser Permanente is the state of Georgia's largest nonprofit health plan, serving the health care needs of Atlanta metro area residents for 22 years. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Georgia, Inc. currently provides comprehensive health care services to approximately 275,000 members through 15 medical facilities in a 28-county service, and a network of affiliated hospitals and physicians. The Health Plan provided more than $5 million in community benefit programs and services.