INSPIRING “GREEN” PRACTICES
Sustainability Committee rolls out new vision
The August edition of News+Notes included a feature spread about our ongoing commitment to “green” practices. A UF Health Shands Sustainability Committee has set the course to guide these efforts in our Gainesville hospitals and outpatient facilities.
It is led by Tedd Comerford, associate vice president of Supply Chain Services and Materials Management for UF Health Shands, and chaired by Lauren Berkow, M.D., FASA, a UF College of Medicine professor of neuroanesthesia. Members hail from a variety of hospital and College of Medicine departments as well as UF Supply Chain Services, the UF Physical Plant division and the UF Office of Sustainability. Recycling representatives from Alachua County also partner on the committee.
Since its creation three years ago, the committee has hosted annual Earth Day celebrations at UF Shands Hospital and guided the organization to join Practice Greenhealth, an organization that supports sustainability in hospitals. With the help of the committee, UF Health Shands has since won three environmental excellence awards for sustainability.
The committee’s goals include the creation of a sustainability dashboard, continued focus on recycling and providing education regarding sustainability team initiatives across the health system and community. Read the new mission, vision and values below and stay tuned for updates!