Affinity awarded prestigious environmental leadership honor
05 / 16 / 2007
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Maria Nelson, Media Relations
Affinity Health System
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MENASHA,
Affinity received this honor for its continued efforts in environmental stewardship. Last year, Affinity was recognized by H2E for outstanding achievement in environmental innovation in health care, as well as awarded the H2E Making Medicine Mercury Free Award for its efforts to virtually eliminate all waste containing mercury.
These honors coincide with Affinity’s commitment to sustainable building practices in constructing environmentally friendly medical facilities.
“Affinity Health System is at the forefront of the trend toward a health care system that recognizes the fundamental link between healthy people and a healthy environment,” said Laura Brannen, executive director of Hospitals for a Healthy Environment. “H2E’s vision of a healthy health care system is steadily becoming a reality in part, because of the remarkable achievements of organizations like Affinity Health System.”
“With every new facility that we build, we are making a serious commitment to ensure the health care environment is healthy for patients, visitors, staff and the earth,” says Gary Kusnierz, director of Construction and Development for Affinity Health System.
In addition to the H2E awards, three Affinity Medical Group clinics—Brillion, Darboy and
“This is not a fad,” Kusnierz said. “This is a continuous effort and a promise that Affinity is making to the communities we serve. We’re proud to be a national leader in the trend toward environmentally responsible health care.”
Jointly founded by the American Hospital Association, the Environmental Protection Agency, Health Care without Harm and the American Nurses Association, H2E is an independent not-for-profit organization focused on improving health care’s environmental performance. H2E envisions a health care system committed to reduced waste volume and toxicity, efficient energy and water use, clean air, safe work practices and safe buildings.
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For the Editor:
Affinity Health System, a faith-based regional health care network, is the Fox Valley’s second-largest employer, according to the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce & Industry. For the fourth consecutive year, Affinity has been named one of the nation’s top 64 health systems based on clinical performance according to Thomson Reuters, a leading provider of information and solutions to improve the cost and quality of health care. For ten consecutive years, Affinity Health System has been named to the SDI (formerly Verispan) Integrated Health Network Top 100, an annual assessment of the 100 most highly integrated health care networks in the nation. Both St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton and Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh rank among the top 1 percent of hospitals nationwide in terms of quality and efficiency, as determined by the 2007 Premier | CareScience Select practice National Quality Award. Members of Affinity include Mercy Medical Center and Mercy Health Foundation, Oshkosh; St. Elizabeth Hospital and the St. Elizabeth Hospital Foundation, Appleton; Affinity Medical Group, a regional network of 25 family practice and specialty clinics – 22 of which are recognized as NCQA Level III medical homes, the highest level of recognition – in 14 communities; Calumet Medical Center, Chilton; and Affinity Occupational Health.