Oak Brook, Ill. Advocate Health Care, along with nine other leading health systems across the nation, attended a symposium in Washington D.C. this week that focused on dramatically improving the health care sector’s environmental footprint while saving costs and improving the health and safety of patients, staff and the community.

Hosted by Virginia-based, Healthier Hospitals Initiative (HHI), the gathering focused on a campaign designed to accelerate the six HHI Challenges that hope to:

• Serve healthier foods 
• Reduce energy use
• Reduce waste
• Use safer chemicals ·
• Purchase environmentally preferable products

Advocate’s manager of Environmental Stewardship, Mary Larsen said the adoption of the six challenges will go a long way in promoting better health within hospital communities. “Supporting and implementing a strategic plan focused on improving health outcomes through sustainable and environmentally sound methods aligns with Advocate’s Mission, Values and Philosophy (MVP),” Larsen said. “I’m excited about the increasing momentum within the healthcare community to achieve these goals.

Ten of the largest, U.S. health systems, comprising over 500 hospitals are working with Health Care Without Harm (HCWH), the Center for Health Design and Practice Greenhealth to create HHI as a guide for hospitals to reduce energy and waste, choose safer and less toxic products, and purchase and serve healthier foods.

During the next three years, the Initiative will gather data and metrics from participating hospitals to demonstrate the impact these strides are having on the health and safety of patients, workers and communities, as well as on reducing health care expenditures.