Newsmakers: Allina Health Earns Recognition for Environmental Sustainability
Allina Health recently earned several awards from Practice Greenhealth, including the 2024 System for Change Award for the second consecutive year.
“Anything we do that improves the health of the community, like reducing our impact on climate, reducing our waste or energy makes our communities healthier,” said Suzanne Savanick Hansen, Allina Health’s manager of Environmental Sustainability.
Hansen says 13 health sites received awards for their work.
“Two years ago, we did a climate action plan a little over a year ago so that sets up up, aligns us up with the best national and international thinking on this. We have a goal of reducing greenhouse emissions 50-percent by 2030, and net zero by 2050,” said Hansen. “So we are working on energy efficiency projects, we are looking on waste projects, we’re looking at all sorts of ways we can reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.”
Many of the environmental sustainable practices are not visible to the patient or public’s eye. There’s a transition to LED lighting as well as boosted recycling and energy-saving efforts.
At Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute in Golden Valley, there are honeybee hives from Kinnickkinnic Bees, and the honey is used in the cafeteria too.
Crews at Abbott Northwestern Hospital planted native pollinator-friendly plants to support bees and butterflies.
Hansen says the healthcare system plans to continue to work on energy efficiency and waste reduction efforts.
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