Two months after launching a voluntary sustainability certification for hospitals, The Joint Commission has awarded it to four Hackensack Meridian facilities, which are the first in the nation to achieve it, according to a March 6 news release.
To achieve the sustainability certification, healthcare organizations are required to develop and implement a plan to address, measure and reduce three sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and set priorities for other sustainability metrics.
For its part, Hackensack has been able to increase the use of solar power, divert 40,000 pounds of waste from landfills, reprocess medical devices, and invest in green cleaning supplies and energy efficient upgrades, according to the release.
The four locations are that achieved the certification include:
- Hackensack (N.J.) Meridian University Medical Center
- Hackensack Meridian Bayshore Medical Center in Holmdel, N.J.
- Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, N.J.
- Hackensack Meridian Ocean University Medical Center in Brick, N.J.
Three of the above Hackensack locations were also among the first to achieve The Joint Commission's new health equity certification including: Hackensack Meridian Health University Medical Center, Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center and the Hackensack Meridian Ocean University Medical Center.