 LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR
It’s H2E Environmental Excellence Awards season, and the deadline for awards applications is February 14!
You probably know that an H2E award could help you win support from management and the larger community for your environmental efforts. But no doubt you also wonder how you’ll find the time to complete the application.
There are dozens of reasons to find that time and to win an H2E award—but rather than us telling you about them one more time, we want you to hear the benefits of the H2E awards process and award-winner recognition from your peers. This StatGreen consists of your colleagues telling you in their own words how H2E Environmental Excellence awards have benefited them.
Please take a minute to download an award application today (the sooner you get started the easier the process will be!), fill it out over the next few weeks (deadline February 14), and let us know how we can help. We look forward to seeing you in Minneapolis in May—to hand you an award, and help you connect with your peers from all over the country to share tips and success stories and go back to work energized and inspired!
– Laura Brannen, Director, H2E
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Awards Teleconference
H2E Environmental Excellence Awards teleconference Friday January 19 1PM Eastern
Learn more about how to apply, which award is right for you, and what it means to win an H2E Award! Register now (or if the call has passed, review the power point presentation, or visit the Past Teleconference web page after February 1 to listen to a recorded version of the call).
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Portrait of an H2E Award Winner
 Hartford Hospital received the H2E Partner for Change Award in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006, as well as the Making Medicine Mercury Free Award in 2002.
“The award process helped the institution more closely gauge what was happening with our environmental management system over this time period and allowed the hospital to set realistic goals to improve our waste amounts and bottom line,” says Mike Tortora, Industrial Hygienist who was leader of Hartford Hospital’s environment initiatives.
Over the past 6 years, Hartford Hospital was able to reduce hazardous waste amounts by over 70% and medical waste 50%. These levels have been either remaining constant or decreasing as the institution continues its waste minimization efforts.
“The reduction of waste improved our overall financial costs, not only on the disposal side, but on the front end as well,” says Tortora, “and the recognition that our institution received from gaining the awards has given us all of the above, as well as respect in the community for our environmental efforts.”
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More from H2E Award Winners...
"Success breeds success. The recognition, excitement and positive publicity encouraged increased participation in our environmental stewardship programs, and spurred new initiatives amongst our staff."
Bruce Cadwallender
Safety Director
University of Michigan Hospitals & Health Centers, Ann Arbor , MI
"No doubt [the awards application process] does take work, but it’s part of our commitment to continuous environmental improvement. The award application becomes a tool that I go back to throughout the year for data and snippets, newsletters and articles. And, it gets easier every year."
Sister Mary Ellen Leciejewski
Ecology Coordinator
Catholic Healthcare West, San Francisco CA
"The award process is a great exercise as an internal audit. Highlighting the facility’s successes and identifying areas to improve will assist with future projects. Furthermore, it perpetuates interest and participation -- as departments and individuals learn about the hospital’s achievements, they often bring new ideas that range from waste mitigation to updated purchasing policies. People inherently want to participate and contribute to improving the hospital’s footprint!"
John Ebers
Sustainable Practices Coordinator
Metro Health, Grand Rapids MI
"Our JCAHO Administrator Surveyor was impressed by our H2E Awards and the local awards that we have received within the last couple of years.
I'd like to encourage all of my colleagues to get involved and apply for
H2E and local awards to showcase their hard work and efforts in making their facilities environmentally friendly."
Reza Tavakoli
Director of Environmental Svces
Sparrow Health System, Lansing MI
" I'd like to encourage everyone to [apply] this year...Winning an award is really, really helpful in making upper management more aware that "hey maybe this is a good thing we are doing”. Being able to say "nationally recognized program" is seldom a bad thing in our field. I've gained all sorts of traction with that term…Receiving an H2E award is a great validation of our program; instead of just me saying we have a great program, it’s now officially recognized. That makes a big difference to our leadership."
Tom Badrick
Sustainability Coordinator
Legacy Health Systems, Portland OR
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 When it comes to health care practices, winning a blue ribbon just isn’t good enough anymore.
That’s why health care facilities and organizations around the country compete to win Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E) Environmental Excellence awards!
The awards application period is now open.
Are you over-worked and underappreciated? Does your CEO know your name? Could you achieve more with greater management support? Have you reduced your waste, instituted toxics reduction programs or engaged in green building initiatives?
Go to the H2E website , find the award application that is right for you and apply now.
 Then save the date for the awards ceremony:
May 14-15, 2007 in Minneapolis, MN. The two-day awards event will include detailed case studies of ground-breaking environmental efforts, and a full-day Pharmaceutical Waste Disposal Workshop.
This year's awards are generously supported by
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We're here to help!
CONTACT US with questions about awards applications:
Facility Partner Awards:
Janet Brown , Partner Program Manager
413/253-0254
janet.brown@h2e-online.org
Cecilia DeLoach, Partner Program Manager
703/243-0056
cecilia.deloach@h2e-online.org
Champion for Change Awards:
Sarah O’Brien , EPP Program Manager
802/479-0317
sarah.obrien@h2e-online.org
Application Schedule/Process:
Lin Hill , Awards Coordinator
lin.hill.h2e@comcast.net
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