Publications & Sites 
Westlake Hospital earns enviornmental awards
Updated: October 16, 2012 3:04PM
Vanguard Westlake Hospital has been honored with two national awards for environmental excellence.
The hospital earned the 2012 “Partner for Change” Award and the 2012 “Making Medicine Mercury-Free” Award from Practice Greenhealth, a national membership organization for health care facilities committed to environmentally responsible operations.
“These awards demonstrate Vanguard Westlake Hospital’s commitment to its community to protect public health and preserve the environment,” said Laura Wenger, registered nurse and executive director of Practice Greenhealth.
The Partner for Change Award recognizes health care facilities that “continuously improve and expand upon their mercury elimination, waste reduction and source reduction programs.” At a minimum, facilities applying for the award must be recycling 15 percent of their total waste, are well along the way to mercury elimination and have developed other pollution-prevention programs.
The Practice Greenhealth Making Medicine Mercury-Free Award recognizes facilities that have virtually eliminated mercury and have demonstrated a commitment to continue to be mercury-free. Award criteria include mercury-free management and purchasing policies and recycling programs.
“We are pleased to be recognized for this achievement,” said William A. Brown, chief executive officer of Vanguard Westlake Hospital. “We are proud to be a model of how health facilities develop and implement programs to improve the health of our patients, staff and community.”
The Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellence Awards were presented in Denver at CleanMed, a national environmental conference for leaders in health care sustainability.
Vanguard Westlake Hospital is a 225-bed teaching hospital in Melrose Park and is accredited by the Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program. Staffed with more than 300 physicians, the hospital offers inpatient, outpatient and surgical services. Part of Vanguard Health Chicago, Westlake Hospital offers bariatric surgery, rehabilitative medicine, orthopedics, cardiology and obstetrics.
For information, visit westlakehosp.com.
