BOSTON – In recognition for achievement and innovation in environmental sustainability, Boston Medical Center has been named one of the top 25 hospitals in the U.S. for Environmental Excellence by Practice Greenhealth, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to environmental sustainability in healthcare.
The Top 25 Environmental Excellence Award, Practice Greenhealth’s highest honor, is given annually to honor healthcare’s highest achievements in sustainability, and winning facilities have developed successful sustainability programs in a variety of different areas. BMC was also presented with the Greening the OR Recognition Award for improving environmental performance in the operating room.
“For our patients to thrive, we know excellent healthcare isn’t enough – they also need to live in healthy communities,” said Robert Biggio, Senior Vice President of Facilities and Support Services at Boston Medical Center. “Our patient population is disproportionally impacted by climate change, so we aim to integrate initiatives to reduce our energy consumption and carbon emissions into everything we do, including how we plan for the future of our facilities.”
Boston Medical Center’s sustainability efforts have reduced the hospital’s utilities bill by over $10 million per year, which it has invested back into patient care. In recognition of our sustainability work, BMC was invited to the White House last year, and is among 650 hospitals across the country that have joined a Biden Administration initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2030.
BMC has reduced carbon emissions from energy consumption by 91 percent since 2011 through a series of initiatives, including a major campus redesign, partnering with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on a solar purchase agreement, and installing a cogeneration plant on the hospital’s rooftop.
Last fall, BMC opened the Brockton Behavioral Health Center in Brockton, Mass., which was carbon net-zero for carbon emissions from energy from day one. BMC also became the first non-profit health care organization in the nation to issue sustainability bonds with a $232 million bond sale earlier this year that reflects the hospital’s commitment to carbon reduction and health equity for its patient population.
BMC operates a 2,658-squarefoot Rooftop Farm with more than 25 crops situated on top of its Power Plant building. The farm not only provides fresh, local produce to our patients, cafeterias, Teaching Kitchen, and Preventive Food Pantry, but it’s also a part of BMC's commitment to going green – the farm reduces the hospital's carbon footprint, increases green space, and reduces energy use, including the energy required to transport food.
“At BMC, we are dedicated to reducing our carbon footprint because we know that healthier hospitals mean healthier communities,” said David Maffeo, Senior Director of Support Services at Boston Medical Center. “We know sustainability is essential to better care for our patients, communities, and planet. In recent years, we have made great strides toward reducing our impact on the environment, and we are committed to doing even more.”
“In a shifting healthcare landscape, a focus on sustainability can help build resilience, while better protecting the health of patients and the community,” said Gary Cohen, Practice Greenhealth founder. “Boston Medical Center demonstrates the kind of leadership, innovation, and performance that can drive the entire health sector toward more environmentally responsible practices.”
About Practice Greenhealth
Practice Greenhealth is the leading membership and networking organization for sustainable health care, delivering environmental solutions to more than 1,400 U.S. hospitals and health systems. Learn more at practicegreenhealth.org.
About Boston Medical Center
Boston Medical Center models a new kind of excellence in healthcare, where innovative and equitable care empowers all patients to thrive. We combine world-class clinicians, cutting-edge treatments, and advanced technology with compassionate, quality care, that extends beyond our walls. As an award-winning health equity leader, our diverse clinicians and staff interrogate racial disparities in care and partner with our community to dismantle systemic inequities. And as a national leader in research and the teaching affiliate for Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, we’re driving the future of care.
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