Four Hospitals Achieve The Joint Commission’s Sustainable Healthcare Certification

Four hospitals within Hackensack Meridian Health are first in the nation to achieve The Joint Commission’s Sustainable Healthcare Certification (SHC), according to a March 6 press release.

The four hospitals are Hackensack, N.J.-based Hackensack Meridian Hackensack University Medical Center; Holmdel, N.J.-based Hackensack Meridian Bayshore Medical Center; Neptune, N.J.-based Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center; and Brick, N.J.-based, Hackensack Meridian Ocean University Medical Center.

The press release says that “Since the healthcare industry accounts for nearly 9% of the nation’s carbon emissions, commitment to keeping people healthy includes recognizing and reducing healthcare’s outsized share of carbon emissions. Responding to and recovering from severe weather events (e.g., wildfires, flooding, hurricanes, and other weather-related emergencies) affect entire communities, healthcare organizations, and their patients, staff, and responders”

In November, we reported that The Joint Commission’s SHC would launch Jan. 1.

The press release adds that “The Joint Commission provides a framework to help healthcare organizations begin, continue, or expand their decarbonization efforts. It builds on the momentum of healthcare organizations like Hackensack Meridian Health to lead the way in sustainability excellence by inspiring and guiding others who desire to prioritize greener practices.”

Further, “To achieve SHC, all four hospitals set priorities and governance for sustainability initiatives, including creating baselines to measure three sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and developing an action plan to reduce them. The four hospitals also underwent a virtual certification review to assess their compliance with the SHC program’s requirements.”

The Hackensack Meridian Health network recently achieved the following:

• Begun implementation of 30 MW on-site solar and battery storage
• Invested more than $116 million in energy-efficient infrastructure upgrades
• Achieved PEER Gold certification for Hackensack University Medical Center’s Central Utility Plant
• 100% of electronics purchased in 2022 were EPEAT certified
• Saved $1.71 million by reprocessing medical devices and 40,000 pounds diverted from the landfill
• 99% of furnishings purchased were free of harmful chemicals
• 96.7% of cleaning products were third-party eco-logo certified

Hackensack Meridian Health has the press release.