St. Elizabeth Hospital Earns the ENERGY STAR® for Superior Energy Efficiency
02 / 24 / 2010
Go to Newsroom
Maria Heim, Media Relations
Affinity Health System
(920) 720-1752
(920) 554-0686 (pager)
APPLETON, Wis. - St. Elizabeth Hospital, part of Affinity Health System, has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) prestigious ENERGY STAR, the national symbol for superior energy efficiency and environmental protection. This signifies that the building’s energy performance rates in the top 25 percent of facilities nationwide.
“St. Elizabeth Hospital is the only hospital in Wisconsin to currently hold the ENERGY STAR designation and one of 26 hospitals in the entire nation to receive this distinguished energy environment stewardship award in 2009,” said Steve Kappell, director facility services.
Commercial buildings that earn the ENERGY STAR use an average of 35 percent less energy than typical buildings and also release 35 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Affinity Health System improved its energy performance by managing energy strategically across the entire organization and by making cost-effective improvements to its buildings. St. Elizabeth Hospital has prevented greenhouse gas emissions equal to the electricity use from 842 households for a year*.
"St. Elizabeth Hospital is pleased to accept EPA’s ENERGY STAR in recognition of our energy efficiency efforts,” said Gary Kusnierz, vice president performance excellence, Affinity Health System. "Through this achievement, we have demonstrated our commitment to environmental stewardship while also lowering our energy costs.”
St. Elizabeth Hospital is only the second hospital in the state to receive this recognition.
To earn the ENERGY STAR, St. Elizabeth Hospital took the following actions:
- Created a culture of awareness for energy conservation.
- Installed new boiler controls reducing consumption of natural gas.
- Installed variable frequency drives (VFD’s) reducing electrical consumption.
- Completed multiple lighting retrofits reducing consumption of electricity.
- Programmed the building automation system for optimal equipment run times and building occupancy set backs.
- Developed an on-going commissioning program to assure mechanical equipment runs at peak efficiencies.
- Implemented a proactive and collaborative ENERGY TEAM that includes local utility representatives.
- Implemented a state of the art energy tracking system to trend and communicate energy consumption.
“Improving the energy efficiency of our nation’s buildings is critical to preserving our environment and our natural resources, “ said Jean Lupinacci, chief of EPA’s ENERGY STAR Commercial and Industrial branch. “From office buildings to hotels, supermarkets to schools, the ENERGY STAR distinguishes those organizations who are taking environmental responsibility into their own hands.”
EPA’s national energy performance rating system provides a 1-100 scale that helps organizations assess how efficiently their buildings use energy relative to similar buildings nationwide. A building that scores a rating of 75 or higher is eligible for the ENERGY STAR. Commercial buildings that can earn the ENERGY STAR include offices, bank branches, financial centers, retail stores, courthouses, hospitals, hotels, K-12 schools, medical offices, supermarkets, dormitories, and warehouses.
ENERGY STAR was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Today, the ENERGY STAR label can be found on more than 60 different kinds of products, new homes, and commercial and industrial buildings. Products and buildings that have earned the ENERGY STAR designation prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the government. Last year alone, Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved about $19 billion on their energy bills while reducing the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 29 million vehicles.
For more information about ENERGY STAR visit www.energystar.gov.
*To calculate greenhouse gas emissions, please visit http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-resources/calculator.html
###
###
For the Editor:
Affinity Health System, a Catholic mission-oriented regional health care network, is a partnership of Ministry Health Care and Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare. Affinity Health System is the Fox Valley’s third-largest employer, according to the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and has been nationally listed for two years in a row among the top 50 hospitals for quality and efficiency (Thomson Reuters, Modern Healthcare; 2009, 2010). For eight consecutive years, Affinity Health System has been named to the SDI Health (formerly Verispan) Integrated Health Network Top 100, an annual assessment of the 100 most highly integrated health care networks in the nation – Affinity ranks no. 29 in the 2009 report. 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. Network Health Plan has achieved Excellent accreditation status from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the highest possible level. It has been nationally ranked in the Top 50 Health Insurance Plans for five consecutive years in the U.S. News and World Report/NCQA Best Health Plans in America listing. 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 26 family practice and specialty clinics – including two fully operational Medical Home models – in 14 communities; Calumet Medical Center, Chilton; Network Health Plan, Menasha; and Affinity Occupational Health.