Let's talk about green.
Health care begins with a healthy environment. At Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), our commitment to health goes hand in hand with a commitment to protecting the environment. Our two new buildings opening in 2006 stand as symbols of this commitment. Our new patient care and research facility, the Center for Health & Healing on Portland’s South Waterfront, is likely to be certified one of the “greenest” of its kind in the world.
 At the Center for Health & Healing, wise use of natural resources also helps save on operating costs. For example, rainwater is reused in toilets and landscaping; daylight and the sun’s energy are fully leveraged for light and heat; chilled beams replace air conditioning; and an on-site micro-turbine plant generates a third of the building’s electricity.
The building is 61 percent more energy efficient than required by Oregon code; 56 percent less potable water is used than in a comparable conventional building; and 100 percent on-site sewage treatment reduces the amount of water reaching the city’s sewer system. |
Our state-of-the-art Biomedical Research Building on the Marquam Hill Campus is also on track to be one of the most environmentally friendly research facilities in the Pacific Northwest. This building also has energy-saving features; storm water management; erosion control; water-efficient appliances; construction waste recycling; and wide use of daylighting, sustainable wood products, and recycled and local materials. These all contribute to its green design. And when you think green, think also about the new tram. The three-minute rides will efficiently move riders from the top of Marquam Hill to South Waterfront. The tram will eliminate 2 million vehicle miles annually, saving 93,000 gallons of gas per year and reducing greenhouse gases by more than 1,000 tons.
| It doesn't stop there. OHSU is working hard toward ever greater greenness throughout the university campus. Last year OHSU recycled 1,014 tons of recyclable materials, a 137-ton increase from 2003. This number includes 561 tons of paper, 322 tons of cardboard, 29 tons of plastic and 38 tons of yard debris. We’re sending less garbage to the landfill and filling more requests for recycling bins every day. In 2006, Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E), a nonprofit group focused on improving health care’s environmental performance, gave OHSU its 2006 Partner for Change Award. The award is given annually to facilities for reducing, reusing and recycling waste; preventing pollution; and eliminating mercury.
 And we are working with the city to make Portland’s renowned quality of life even greener and formally adopting these principles in our planning processes. The university donated roughly 45 acres of forested land on Marquam Hill to the community by legally designating it as permanent open space. It is one of the largest donations of park land to the city in recent history. This area will be linked to other open spaces, recreation areas and the campus with trails and pedestrian networks. We also worked with local groups to remove five acres of ivy and other non-native invasive species within natural and forested areas surrounding OHSU. Increasingly, the quality of the environment determines where people want to live. By focusing on sustainability as we expand to serve our region’s 21st-century health care needs, we are making our community more livable and fulfilling our mission of improving the health and well-being of all Oregonians.
Healthy economy. Healthy environment. Healthy people. The next generation is depending on us. Please send us your ideas about how we can be even greener.
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