Why Green Healthcare?
With “first do no harm” as the most fundamental precept of the profession, health care organizations are well positioned to ensure environmental health is a key component of sustainability. They can lead the building industry in designing and constructing buildings in ways that enhance health; reducing the impacts on patients, staff, the community, and the environment; and, sourcing materials that do not contain chemicals linked to illnesses such as cancer, reproductive problems, learning disabilities, hormone interference and respiratory problems.
Healthcare facilities are also energy -and resource – intensive, so they represent a tremendous opportunity for improving energy management, while at the same time lowering operating costs and helping reach the goal of improving human health.
Benefits of Green Healthcare.
A May 2007 study released by McGraw-Hill Construction offers a preliminary view of the impact of green building principles on the healthcare sector. The study’s major findings were:
- Green healthcare facilities reduce energy use which reduces green house gasses andimproves air quality.
- 47% of respondents said that patient recovery time is reduced in green buildings.
- Benefits of green building include lower operating costs, greater innovation and public relations benefits.
Green healthcare facilities heal more by doing less harm; they save more energy and use less water than traditional healthcare facilities.
Additionally, green healthcare facilities lessen environmental impacts through responsible approaches to site, reduced demand on municipal infrastructure and recycling during and after construction. Like other green buildings, green healthcare facilities decrease our reliance on fossil fuels, thus decreasing carbon dioxide emissions and other forms of harmful pollution.
