Overall Leadership: St. Joseph’s Care Group St. Joseph’s Care Group (SJCG) has gained a significant reputation in Northwestern Ontario/Thunder Bay community for its ongoing green efforts. In recent years, the organization has won the Municipal Green Award, the City of Thunder Bay Clean Green and Beautiful Award, the Environmental Stewardship Award, and the Green Healthcare Award for Overall Leadership at HealthAchieve 2011. These awards pay homage to SJCG’s commitment to energy conservation, greenhouse gas reduction, and recycling and reuse/waste management programs throughout its facilities. The list of green accomplishments is extensive. The most recent green award was presented to The Sister Margaret Smith Centre for achieving LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification. The Sister Margaret Smith Centre has been designed to use 68% less indoor water and 42% less energy than conventional buildings. LEED standards are also being used in construction of new buildings. St. Joseph’s Care Group is now exploring the feasibility of rooftop solar panels for the CEISS (Centre of Excellence for Integrated Seniors’ Services) Sister Leila Greco Apartments and addition to the Hogarth Riverview Manor. The focus on energy conservation continues through the efforts of a dedicated Greening Health Care Committee that engages in environmental initiatives across all sites. The organization has also hired an environmental technician student to help develop and promote information and educational programs, as well as host presentations and events for new hires and existing staff to raise awareness and keep the momentum going. Current recycling efforts are diverse, and include batteries, fluorescent light bulbs, cans, plastic bottles, paper, cardboard, printer cartridges, electronic waste, glass, and furniture, among other items. Recent waste audits were conducted to not only identify current diversion rates, but to seek out even more opportunities to reduce waste (In 2011 sites diverted between 22.95% to 38.18% of their waste from landfill).
The submission deadline for the 2012 Green Health Care Awards is September 14, 2012. Ontario health service providers who are members of the OHA and/or the CCGHC may submit for multiple award categories. Visit www.healthachieve.com/greenawards for more information.
To drive more results, SJCG is now exploring the feasibility of composting for kitchen and cafeteria waste for an organic vegetable garden which was established to create employment opportunities for people with a serious mental illness and to support various food banks throughout the region. It is also looking at replacing styrofoam and plastic containers with starch-based products. A recently introduced micro-fiber mop system has reduced chemical
usage by 92% and water usage by 7 5 % . Even com mu n i c a t i on s a re “green” through the availability of online resources, including an internal newsletter. Whether building a case for energy conservation, or recycling waste, these organizations have proven that despite budget constraints, dedication and commitment to green initiatives can make a significant difference.
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