Health Care That’s Healthy –
Hudson’s Sustainability Journey

It’s our mission – Caring for the Health of our Community and our journey – providing health care that’s healthy. Hudson Hospital & Clinics embarked on an eco-friendly journey establishing sustainable business practices several years ago. After laying the green foundation, it’s now our roadmap. We’re the model for the HealthPartners family of organizations – and have set the bar high. In fact, a recent review of our hospital by the Joint Commission identified our Environment of Care program to be exceptional and is being reviewed as a Best Practices standard.

Eco-friendly practices – it’s what we do because it’s the right thing to do. Some of these include: reducing waste, conserving energy, using locally grown fresh produce, cleaning with Green-seal approved chemicals, and using natural gardens with drought-resistant plants. The goal is to reduce waste, recycle and reuse when possible.

It’s all about partnerships. We’re part of the HealthPartners family and our sustainability practices align and support the organization’s Partners for Better Health Goals 2014 – to protect the health of members, patients and the community. HealthPartners is committed to responsible, environmentally sustainable practices to help all of us achieve the Triple Aim – better health, improved patient experience and affordable health care.

Hudson Hospital & Clinics is also fortunate to be part of a supportive St. Croix Valley community where both businesses and the community have embraced eco-friendly practices. These partnerships paved the foundation for a commitment to sustainability in the valley. Throughout 2010 and 2011, our Environment of Care “green team” continues to assess and identify opportunities in our sustainability journey. Many of our vendors have also partnered with us to provide cost-effective recycling programs and green-friendly equipment.

Has it made a difference? Take a look at some of our latest green initiatives:

• Waste management and reduction – Through our comprehensive waste management plan for all materials and waste streams, we’ve recycled about 190,000 pounds of cardboard, aluminum, paper, and plastic in 2010. A battery recycling program resulted in saving 111 pounds of waste last year. We reduced paper and toner saving $12,000 annually. A $7,200 savings was seen using the new trash compactor. Our vendors, SterliMed and Centurion Medical Products, helped us saved $27,000 through reprocessing instruments, devices and recycling suture trays – resulting in reduced waste in landfills.

• Energy, water and climate – Our smart facilities approach ensured our hospital was built to LEED construction standards. These smart approaches also include: LED lights on outdoor signage and exit signs to burn more efficiently; low-flow fixtures for toilets and faucets reducing water consumption, vinegar to clean hospital humidifiers rather than chemicals, native drought resistant plants in our gardens to reduce lawn size, and sensors on irrigation system to avoid using during rain.

• Nutrition and food service – Our hospital participates in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and is a site for distribution of locally-grown fresh, organic produce for the community and participating employees. In season, our Café serves patients and guests locally grown produce. We use recycled paper products and encourage staff to bring their own water containers eliminating bottled water and resulting in $1,000 savings annually.

• Sustainable environment – We provide outdoor places of respite on campus – labyrinth, gardens, benches, birdhouses and we’re a tobacco-free campus. We provide bike racks and locker rooms for employees who bike to work. Our chemical management program implemented digital mammography – saving $2,200 on chemicals in 2010. In collaboration with St. Croix County, the hospital implemented a pharmaceutical take-back program for disposal of drugs. We use greener cleaning to eliminate floor finishes and strippers, and our linen company is a member of the Laundry Environmental stewardship program.

What’s Next? Hudson Hospital & Clinics’ sustainability journey has only just begun. These eco-friendly practices and new innovative environmentally safe initiatives, like our community garden project and composting systems, will continue in support of our mission – Caring for the Health of our Community and journey – providing health care that’s healthy.