Valley Hospital Receives Sustainability Awards

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — The Valley Hospital has been awarded the Greenhealth Emerald Award for its sustainability efforts, according to a news release.

Valley has also been awarded the Circle of Excellence Award in the category of “Greening the OR,” for making substantial strides in improving environmental performance in the operating room.

This is the fifth consecutive year the hospital has received national accolades from the presenting organization, Practice Greenhealth, for its healthcare sustainability.

Practice Greenhealth is the nation's leading organization dedicated to environmental sustainability in health care, according to the release.

“Valley is committed to minimizing the impact of hospital operations on the environment and contributing towards a more sustainable future," said Audrey Meyers, President and CEO of The Valley Hospital and Valley Health System. “Sustainability practices are essential for the health and well-being of our patients and families, as well as for the larger environments of our community and our planet.”

According to Howard Halverson, Director of Environment Services, the hospital has gone Styrofoam-free, begun using ecofriendly replacement products and switched to reusable dining items from single-use food carriers.

That, and Valley's use of tree-free paper products has saved 387,355 gallons of water, eliminated over 120 thousand pounds of landfill waster and saved over 1000 trees, according to Halverson.