Hillcrest Hospital Celebrates Earth Day

Earth Day at Hillcrest Hospital is really a recognition of yearlong efforts to reduce waste and conserve natural resources.

"The Green Team has made a big impact," said James M. Senick, Hillcrest Hospital administrative director of support services and member of the Green Team started three years ago. "As part of Earth Day we're celebrating what we've been able to do. It showcases the things that we've been doing."

Senick said the hospital has taken significant steps to be more green. Switchgear and electrical upgrades have resulted in a reduction of 914,628 kilowatt hours of electricity, saving $183,161, he said.

Other improvements include ballast and light replacement, which cut use by 63,791 kWh, saving $59,761.

The Cleveland Clinic spends $1.73 per second on energy in its 22 million square feet of space in Greater Cleveland, Florida and Las Vegas. Senick said the Green Team is encouraging employees to cut into that total by shutting off lights at night, which saves $160 per office.

At the hospital's Earth Day celebration on Wednesday, 10 Green Team members volunteered their time and worked tables alongside vendors showing how the hospital has become more green.

Leff Electric's display included a working electric meter to illustrate the difference in power used by fluorescent and incandescent light bulbs. The dial barely moves when the fluorescent bulb is lit and races when a switch is made. Tom Germ, sales representative for Leff Electric, said the change is so dramatic that he's had a person claim the meter was rigged.

"He unscrewed the bulbs and switched them," Germ said. "It's a regular meter. We didn't do anything to it."

He added that fluorescent bulbs, which he handed out to visitors at the Earth Day event, may cost more initially but save money in the long run.

"You buy a 10-pack of incandescent bulbs for $2.99 and think they're cheap. But they flicker when you turn them on and in a couple months they burn out," Germ said. "Five years later, a fluorescent bulb is still burning."

Guests could also get free travel mugs, recognizing another change initiated by the Green Team. Senick said paper coffee cups create 83,000 pounds of waste a year at the hospital, costing $186,000. To reduce the waste, the hospital gave out free mugs and employees can get them filled with coffee for free.

At another table, volunteers collected old computer equipment and gave the first 50 donors $10 Best Buy gift cards.

Senick said the hospital recycling efforts have resulted in removing 309 tons of plastics, 213 tons of paper and 2,802 pounds of batteries from landfills. Another 5,144 pounds of building materials from the hospital's expansion project were recycled, including metal studs and pieces of drywall.

Hospital equipment is also reused. Beds, chairs and surgical lights are donated to Med-Wish for use in Third World countries.

"In 15 months, we donated 22,000 pounds of materials that were diverted from landfills," Senick said. He added that 12 beds were recently sent to Japan to help with recovery efforts.

Senick said efforts have resulted in 19 percent of waste being diverted, which has helped Hillcrest Hospital receive the Practice Greenhealth Partners for Change Award in 2009 and 2010.

Recent changes have included switches to LED lights in elevators and reducing air conditioning/heating in offices at 5 p.m.

"We're always trying to come up with new ideas," Senick said.