Building a healthier tomorrow Innovative green practices lead the way to better health Greener environment, healthier members Healthy environments are essential to providing a total health experience. As a nationally recognized leader in green health care, we’ve been putting green building standards and strategies into practice for years. Here are some of the steps we’re currently taking to help reduce our carbon footprint, control costs, and offer members a healthier, more natural environment for care—now and well into the future. Conserving and creating energy Our medical centers are built with the health of members and the environment in mind—rubber floors prevent slips and don’t require harsh cleansers, carpets are free of toxic polyvinyl chloride, and drought-resistant plants help us save millions of gallons of water. And we’re using renewable and clean energy sources to further reduce our carbon footprint: • Solar panels at 15 of our facilities will produce an average of 12% of the facilities’ power—enough electricity to power 1,900 homes a year • By generating two megawatts of power onsite at several medical centers, we’re improving energy consumption by 34% and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by nearly half • New lighting systems and heat-reducing window-film installations help us save roughly $1 million each year in energy costs Green at every level Designing environmentally friendly hospitals and medical facilities is only part of the picture. Being green extends to the work we do at every level, every day: • Our electronic health record—Kaiser Permanente HealthConnect ® —has eliminated 2 million pounds of paper and 68 tons of X-ray film, and lowered the gasoline consumption of our members by 3 million gallons a year • Converting from wet-process X-ray equipment to digital imaging machines saves 130 million gallons of water every year Award-winning efforts In 2011, Practice Greenhealth awarded 17 Environmental Excellence Awards to Kaiser Permanente facilities for outstanding achievements in reducing waste, eliminating mercury, and improving environmental performance. Practice Greenhealth provides solutions for the health care industry to create safer and greener workplaces and communities. When our Modesto Medical Center opened in 2008, it was lauded as one of the greenest health care facilities in North America. (continues)