Monument Health wins sustainability award   

PHOTO LINK: Solar panels on the roof of Monument Health’s Jackson Boulevard Urgent Care clinic are pictured here. The project was one of several Monument Health has undertaken in the past year.
 
RAPID CITY, S.D., (Oct. 12, 2018) – The Monument Health Sustainability Program is the winner of the Rapid City Sustainability Award, to be presented by Rapid City Mayor Steve Allender at the City Council Meeting on Monday, Oct. 15.
 
The City of Rapid City’s Standing Committee on Sustainability presents the quarterly award for projects that contribute to the social, environmental, and economic sustainability of Rapid City. Monument Health has a number of initiatives to improve the sustainability of its operations while adhering to quality health care standards. Projects include:

• Improving energy efficiency by using new HVAC controls, LED lighting, energy-efficient replacement motors and other initiatives, resulting in annual savings of $432,000, while maintaining a comfortable working and patient care environment.
• Switching from disposable wipes to reusable microfiber cloths, which saves an estimated $24,000 per year, reduces landfill waste and improves disinfecting capabilities. 
• Expanding recycling efforts to include more medical supplies and equipment. 
• Reusing and repurposing equipment and furniture in the current hospital construction project.
• Donating, rather than discarding, outdated/expired medical supplies, furniture and equipment to the nonprofit Convoy of Hope, which distributes them to impoverished communities around the world.
• Buying produce and other foods from local vendors for use in food services, as well as growing food, flowers and herbs in raised beds and a greenhouse near Rapid City Hospital to capitalize on the many benefits of farm-to-table eating.
• Maintaining beehives on Monument Health property to provide bee habitat, pollinate Monument Health gardens, and produce honey to share with patients and their families.
• Installing solar arrays at Monument Health’s two Rapid City Urgent Care clinics, which will provide over 70 percent of the clinics’ electricity needs.
• Monument Health’s sustainability efforts have benefited the health care network and the Rapid City community, including lowering carbon emissions, improving the regional economy through use of local resources, protecting natural resources and improving the quality of life for patients and employees. 

Monument Health
Monument Health is an integrated health care system with the purpose of helping patients and communities live well. The organization, headquartered in Rapid City, provides community-based health care covering 32 specialty areas of medicine in more than 20 communities in two states. Monument Health is comprised of five hospitals, 25 clinics and more than 5,000 physicians and caregivers. Monument Health hospitals in Rapid City, Spearfish and Sturgis have been rated as four-star hospitals by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. For more information, visit regionalhealth.org. 
 

CONTACT:
Dan Daly
Communications Specialist
Strategic Marketing and Communications
Monument Health
605-755-9178
ddaly@monument.health