The MUHC’s Montreal Children’s Hospital receives Go Green Plus certificate from BOMA Québec

The McGill University Health Centre’s (MUHC) Montreal Children’s Hospital has become more environmentally-friendly, and has met the Go Green Plus certification criteria set by the Quebec Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA). At a presentation of some sixty Go Green certificates yesterday, the MUHC was one of only sixteen organizations and the only hospital to receive the Go Green Plus distinction.

“The MUHC is a university healthcare centre that is always prepared and preparing, 365 days of the year, so that patients and families receive the very best care. So the importance of reducing our environmental footprint is not the first thing that comes to people’s mind, but we’re conscious that it’s part and parcel of creating healing environments,” stated MUHC Dr. Arthur T. Porter, Director General and CEO. “We’re proud that The Children’s has been certified Go Green Plus.”

There were fifteen criteria to meet to receive the certificate. BOMA Quebec’s Go Green Plus programme requirements span the following areas:

• Energy (energy consumption, features, management, transportation)
• Water (water efficiency)
• Resources (waste reduction and recycling; site)
• Emissions, Effluents and Other Impacts (air emissions; ozone depletion; water effluents, hazardous materials, hazardous products, health & safety and WHMIS)
• Indoor Environment (indoor air, lighting, noise); and
• Environmental Management (EMS documentation, purchasing policy, emergency response, tenant awareness)

“Making our hospitals greener is only possible when you have the necessary willingness and support from senior administration, staff and other stakeholders so that an action plan can be set in motion,” added Serge Sévigny, Director of Technical Services at the MUHC. “We have this at the MUHC and we are also very fortunate in the healthcare sector to have leaders like Pierre Chénier at the Agence de la Santé et des Services sociaux de Montréal and Gilbert Desmarais at the Association des gestionnaires de parcs immobiliers, who are supporting the MUHC and other healthcare institutions’ sustainable development projects.”

This latest green initiative is part of the MUHC’s commitment to best practices in sustainable development.

• The MUHC began this fall a partnership with the Agence de santé et services sociaux de Montréal and the Canadian Centre for Pollution Prevention (C2P2) to provide Environmental Management System training to several Montreal-area hospitals, including St. Mary’s Hospital, the Sir Mortimer B. Davis Jewish General Hospital, the Douglas Institute and the CSSS l’Ouest –de-l’Île.
• In August 2007, the MUHC became a partner in the City’s first sustainable development plan (2007-09 phase). The MUHC also hired a full-time Environmental Management System (EMS) coordinator. The first phase of implementing an EMS, a MUHC-wide environmental review, is underway. Four interns recruited from the Collège Rosemont’s Environment Programme are assisting the MUHC’s EMS Coordinator. The review will give the MUHC a clear snapshot of its practices and opportunities.
• In May 2007 and March 2006, the Royal Victoria and Montreal General became the first hospitals in Canada to be certified Go Green Plus and Go Green by BOMA (Building Owners and Managers Association). Other MUHC sites are on target for certification. The BOMA Go Green Environmental Certification programme is voluntary and designed for existing or occupied buildings. Its goal is to recognize buildings where environmental best practices have been implemented into operations.
• The future Glen and Mountain campuses are LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) candidates. Already the LEED® criteria for the environmental remediation of the Glen Campus have been met. LEED® certification distinguishes building projects that have demonstrated a commitment to sustainability by meeting higher performance standards in environmental responsibility and energy efficiency.
• In January 2007, the MUHC became the first Quebec member of Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E) because it shares H2E’s vision of a healthcare system that recognizes the link between operational decisions and health outcomes. The H2E programme has currently 1,407 partners representing 7,557 healthcare facilities, including 1,678 hospitals, 3,881 clinics, 942 nursing homes and 1,056 other types of facilities.

About the MUHC Redevelopment Project

Guided by its mission and its role as the nerve centre of the McGill integrated university hospital network, the MUHC is carrying out a $1.579-billion Redevelopment Project that will help the Government achieve its vision for academic medicine in Quebec. Excellence in patient care, research, education and technology assessment will be fostered on two state-of-art campuses—The Mountain and the Glen—and through strong relationships with healthcare partners. Each LEED®-registered campus will be designed to provide patients and their families with “The Best Care For Life” in a healing environment that is anchored in best sustainable development practices, including BOMA Go Green guidelines. www.muhc.ca/construction

The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) is a comprehensive academic health institution with an international reputation for excellence in clinical programs, research and teaching. The MUHC is a merger of five teaching hospitals affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University––the Montreal Children’s, Montreal General, Royal Victoria, and Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, as well as the Montreal Chest Institute. Building on the tradition of medical leadership of the founding hospitals, the goal of the MUHC is to provide patient care based on the most advanced knowledge in the health care field, and to contribute to the development of new knowledge. www.muhc.ca