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VISN 12 - VA Great Lakes Health Care System

 

VA Great Lakes Health Care System Earns National Environmental Stewardship Award

May 15, 2017

The VA Great Lakes Health Care System, Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 12, received a System for Change award from Practice Greenhealth, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to environmental sustainability in health care.

The System for Change award recognizes health care systems that are working cohesively across hospitals and facilities to set and meet goals related to sustainability, from reducing energy use to increasing recycling to establishing green building practices. The award is one of the Environmental Excellence Awards given each year to honor environmental achievements in the health care sector.

“I am extremely proud of the efforts our team has made in reducing our environmental impact and emphasizing sustainable practices throughout the VA Great Lakes Health Care System,” said Renee Oshinski, VISN 12 network director. “Sustainability not only allows us to better care for our nation’s heroes, but for our communities and planet as well.”

System for Change award winners have at least four acute-care hospitals and have demonstrated cohesive and effective strategies to achieve sustainability. The VA Great Lakes Health Care System consists of eight hospitals, and each hospital within the system earned a Practice Greenhealth award.

Jesse Brown VA Medical Center (VAMC) in Chicago earned the Partner for Change and Making Medicine Mercury Free (MMMF) awards; VA Illiana Health Care System in Danville, Ill., earned the Partner Recognition award; Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care System in North Chicago, Ill., earned the Partner for Change award; Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital in Hines, Ill., earned the Emerald award; Oscar G. Johnson VAMC in Iron Mountain, Mich., earned the Partner for Change and Greening the OR awards; William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital in Madison, Wis., earned the Emerald award; Tomah VAMC in Tomah, Wis., earned the Emerald and MMMF awards; and Clement J. Zablocki VAMC in Milwaukee earned the Emerald and Circle of Excellence for Leadership awards.

“I congratulate our entire team on this accomplishment,” said Oshinski.

The System for Change award will be presented to the VA Great Lakes Health Care System at the Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellence Awards Gala, scheduled for May 18 in Minneapolis. 

About VISN 12

The VA Great Lakes Health Care System, VISN 12, with its eight medical centers, 38 outpatient clinics, eight nursing homes, and six domiciliaries, provides health care services to the 700,000 Veterans who reside within its four-state (Illinois, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Wisconsin, and Northwest Indiana) area. VISN 12 also has the country’s first fully-integrated VA and Department of Defense medical facility, the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center.

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