Through gathering information, spreading awareness and integrating sustainability into everyday operations, The Johns Hopkins Hospital continues to encourage employees to work and live green. This is paying off with continued recognition for the efforts, particularly those related to the Green Office Certification.

Three years ago, the hospital implemented certification processes for departments and units. So far, 48 offices have been certified. During that time, the hospital earned 13 local and national recognitions directly related to sustainability. Most recently, The Johns Hopkins Hospital was recognized by Becker’s Hospital Review as one of the greenest hospitals in America—a list Johns Hopkins has made three times in a row.

This past fiscal year, The Johns Hopkins Hospital diverted 1.4 million pounds of material in its green recycle bins; shredded and recycled 500,000 pounds of paper in the consoles; 250,000 pounds of single-use devices, supplies, equipment and furniture, according to Roderick Toney, assistant director of mail distribution and Transport System and Sustainable Solutions and Salvage. Toney oversees the sustainability initiative for the hospital.

“The Green Office Certification assists in the hospital’s overall efforts to become even more eco-friendly through everyday conservation one department at a time,” says Toney. “This process increases our waste diversion and provides greater recycling opportunities. That way less material is transported to landfills. Since the introduction of the Green Office Certification, our Green Team engagement has increased by 56 percent.”

Hospital departments can be certified as green offices by completing a checklist of actions such as purchasing recycled content paper, instituting paperless meetings and taking advantage of the furniture reuse program. The departments most recently green certified and the champions who helped spearhead the certification are:

1. Diagnostic Radiology Emergency Department Christine Ayers

2. Operations Integration Shereen Jahed

3. Pediatric Endocrinology Kay Thilert

4. Service Excellence Jadine Small

5. Materials Management Christina Cooper

6. Emergency Department CT Becky Ryan

7. General Services Ken Grant and Briahna Harris

8. Office of the Johns Hopkins Hospital President Redonda Miller and Jatoia Gregory

9. Progressive Cardiac Care Unit Kayla O’Neil

To get access to the online checklist and obtain more information, email [email protected].