Two more Affinity clinics earn 'green' certification
04 / 30 / 2007
Go to Newsroom
Maria Nelson, Media Relations
Affinity Health System
(920) 720-1752
(920) 554-0686 (pager)
MENASHA, Wis. – The Brillion and Darboy Affinity Medical Group clinics, which opened in fall 2006, have achieved “certified” status through the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating system.
The two Affinity clinics join the Affinity Greenville clinic as the only health care facilities in the state and among a handful throughout the nation to earn this distinction. The two identical clinics are 3,500 square feet and feature a full-service lab and X-ray area.
The LEED Green Building Rating System is a voluntary standards and certification program created by the U.S. Green Building Council that recognizes environmentally friendly construction projects. The clinics incorporate environmentally friendly, sustainable concepts. LEED design follows six criteria:
- Sustained site development
- Water efficiency and savings
- Energy efficiency and savings
- Conservation of materials and selection
- Indoor environmental quality
- Innovation in design.
Since the construction of the Greenville clinic in 2005, all Affinity construction projects are done “with the goal of reducing or eliminating the impact of the building on the environment,” said Gary Kusnierz, director of Construction & Development for Affinity Health System. That includes placing clinics closer to residential areas for convenient access for Affinity patients, Kusnierz said.
Incorporating sustainable design in building projects is not only good for the environment, “it has a direct correlation to Affinity’s mission and values,” Kusnierz said.
Hoffman LLC, Appleton, was the construction manager for both clinics. “Environmentally responsible solutions require a commitment, and alignment of this commitment by Affinity and Hoffman has been very rewarding,” said Paul J. Hoffman, owner of Hoffman LLC.
Hoffman is a planning, architecture and construction management firm that has been involved with more than 2.5 million square feet of LEED-certified projects. “Providing responsible solutions for our clients that have minimal impact on the environment has been part of our culture for more than a decade,” Hoffman said.
Affinity is seeking LEED certification for two other new clinic projects in the Fox Valley, as well as a 50,000-square-foot expansion and renovation project at
# # #
###
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.