The Green Light

Spotlight on Boulder Community Foothills Hospital

September | October 2008

By Diane Laux, ABC

In September 2008, Colorado’s Boulder Community Foothills Hospital celebrated its fifth anniversary. The 60-bed hospital, known simply as Foothills, was the first in the country to be awarded LEED certification.

The U. S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program verifies building projects meet the highest green building and performance standards.

LEED is a point-based system where projects earn credits for satisfying specific green building criteria. The six LEED credit categories include sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, innovation and design process.

Although this year a separate scoring system for healthcare buildings will go into effect, in 2003 there was only a single system. At the time, fewer than 100 buildings of any kind were LEED certified. It was and is difficult for a healthcare facility to achieve certification status. But in 2003, Foothills did it. And they did it at the Silver level.

Nature

Foothills has a U-shaped layout and wraps around a central courtyard. Because the designers wanted to capture as much natural light as possible, the building was located very precisely on the site. The windows, which are operable to permit patients to control the ventilation in their rooms and provide fresh air, are energy efficient and large. Many studies have shown that an abundance of natural light promotes more rapid healing and general comfort.

While the patients’ well-being was paramount, they weren’t the only ones considered during development. The building was situated to spare an existing wildlife corridor. Cattle and prairie dogs were relocated to grazing land before the construction started. Thirty-one acres of the campus were left untouched, which includes a native wetland that architects doubled in size. Xeriscaping with native plants was used for aesthetic reasons and to minimize the amount of water needed to maintain it.

Nurture

Although much attention has been paid to the buildings and grounds, it’s important to recognize that without the human component, they are only shells. In order to help employees keep their healthcare facilities green, the Boulder Community Hospital (BCH) system was one of the first organizations in the area to provide free ECO passes for bus and light rail travel to the staff. Employees are encouraged to walk, bike or carpool to work. Parking areas offer recharging stations for electric vehicles.

Julie Moyle, RN, MSN, is Surgery Manager at Boulder Community Foothills Hospital. She says, “I am most proud to work for an organization that practices the courage of its convictions, and empowers every employee to participate in ways that truly make a difference—in caring for our patients, in our work environment, and in our lives outside of work.”

Kai Abelkis, Sustainability Coordinator for Boulder Community Foothills Hospital adds, “A number of champions have emerged. Some employees have found their calling; it’s what they want to do with their careers, blending healthcare and sustainability. It’s affecting their lives in a profound way.”

Renewable

There’s somewhat of a green legacy within the BCH system. Boulder Community Hospital was the first hospital in the state of Colorado to purchase wind power. In 1999, they signed a contract to join Xcel Energy’s Windsource Program. The health system estimates their purchase of wind energy prevents nearly one million pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere each year. That’s how much would be saved by planting 200 acres of trees.

More recently, BCH became the first system in the state of Colorado to install solar panels. Panels atop the Tebo Family Medical Pavilion (a BCH facility) and the Foothills hospital combine to provide more than 75,000 kilowatts of electricity annually. That avoids the carbon dioxide produced by fossil-fueled operations by the equivalent of 168,000 vehicle miles. Almost all energy in the state of Colorado is produced by coal and natural gas. This is just one more example of how BCH is setting an example of how to live in a community for the welfare of the community.

Abelkis is an evangelist in the very best sense of the word. His passion for his work is clear when he says, “I believe the medical industry has a moral obligation to care for their communities in a healthy way. The decisions we make every day impact our communities in ways we often don’t consider, but we must consider them. Our hospitals are not isolated islands: the choices we make spread ripples through out communities.

“Sustainability is not a subject-of-the-month,” said Abelkis. “It’s the essence of the industry. As an industry, we must not negatively impact our environment. We are all connected to it and each other and we need to think through the decisions we make.”

Doable

Environmental awareness and sustainability concerns began at the top of this health system.

In 1995, the Board of Directors at Boulder Community Hospital created their Statement of Principles and Recycling Efforts, which stated:

• We meet or exceed all environmental laws and regulations

• We support and encourage recycling of the materials used within the hospital

• We minimize waste and ensure that contaminated waste is disposed of in a safe and responsible manner •We seek, evaluate and implement methodologies that limit the use of non-renewable resources •We eliminate emissions of toxic or dangerous substances into the air, water or earth

• We encourage the use of alternative transportation through financial and other incentives

• We purchase products which contain recycled materials, are recyclable or reusable, and cause the least environmental harm during manufacturing, use and disposal

• We pursue conservation of water resources and energy efficiency

• We actively participate with government, education, business, and the public to encourage environmental values and practices

Abelkis is not afraid to think big. “Sustainability is the key. If we don’t embrace sustainability we will deplete our resources. We must be ready to face this squarely.”

The medical industry as a whole spends $5 billon annually on energy costs, and almost all of it comes from coal and other fossil fuels. He wonders, “What if the medical industry became known as the alternative energy industry? We would save half of that $5 billion. Think what healthcare could be provided with that much money. And we would clean the air as well.”

Abelkis downplays his own part in developing sustainability at Foothills and the rest of the BCH facilities. “Our employees are self-motivated. If I weren’t here, they would do what I do on their own. Our employees have ownership; it’s their program and they’re generating great ideas. At Foothills, it’s not just a corporate policy, it’s individuals expressing their personal values.”

Five years past their pioneering LEED award, what might Foothills have done differently? Moyle replies, “BCH has long been a steward of the environment. As such, environmentally sustainable initiatives were already in place and then incorporated into the design of the new building. I am a relative newcomer to the idea of environmental awareness because I was exposed to the organizational culture of BCH. What I know now is that the answer is in the little things done every day by every individual.

“It’s been my observation that ‘being green’ is not so much about implementing a bunch of environmentally sustainable initiatives,” said Moyle. “Rather, it’s about change in our thinking, and a realization that what we do today can pay it forward in ways we can’t even imagine.

Abelkis admits that because Foothills was the first hospital to earn LEED certification, they have been contacted by facilities all around the world that are eager to know more. He says, “Hospitals are starting to ask, ‘How do we get started?’ and their employees are saying, ‘It’s about time.’ ”

Moyle adds that it comes down to a matter of belief. “What we believe about the future of our environment will determine and drive our actions today. ‘What do I believe?’ is the question we should ask ourselves.”