In order to increase and promote environmental stewardship, Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano implemented several green policies in fiscal year 2008 and will introduce additional environmentally friendly policies in the upcoming fiscal year. Policies that are currently in place include:
- Reducing energy consumption by 10% between FY'07 and FY'08.
- Utilizing low mercury light fluorescent lamps.
- Decreasing the amount of water consumed through the use of low flow bathroom fixtures.
- Conserving water with an irrigation system based off of weather conditions.
- Using environmentally friendly refrigerants.
- Reducing the use of city water by capturing condensation for non-drinking water purposes and capturing natural ground water for usage in the cooling towers.
- Efficient usage of lighting via single room occupancy sensors in storerooms and offices and lighting controllers in larger rooms.
In the near future Baylor Plano will implement the following programs to further promote environmental stewardship among all staff members.
- A single stream recycling program will allow nurses and guests to quickly and easily recycle paper, cans and bottles all in the same bin. Recycle bins will be placed at nursing stations and guest lounges.
- Reusable sharps containers will be introduced in order to save thousands of pounds of waste by reducing the amount of plastic, cardboard and packing materials generally associated with one time use sharps containers.
- A new Going Green Committee, comprised of Baylor Plano employees, will be created to help develop new ways for the Baylor Plano campus to continue to be an environmentally friendly campus. The committee members will encourage staff members to play a role in promoting a green campus by breaking down boxes, using shredders, recycling cans, and shutting off computers when not in use.
"As a healthcare provider in North Texas, we believe it is our responsibility to not only provide quality healthcare to the members of our community but to also serve as good, environmental stewards," said Jerri Garison, president, Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano. "We are excited about the progress Baylor Plano has made in promoting a green work environment and a more environmentally friendly community, and we look forward to the opportunities we have to make a difference in our community by implementing additional green policies."
About Baylor Plano
Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano is a 128-bed acute care hospital committed to serving North Texas residents with personalized care and advanced technology on a beautiful campus with hotel-like amenities and all private rooms. Services include treatment for advanced spine deformities at the Baylor Scoliosis Center, neurosciences, orthopaedics, medical and radiation oncology, surgical weight loss, women's services, gynecology, urology, gastroenterology, pulmonary, sleep disorders, pain management, diabetes management and more. Baylor Plano offers patients access to digital imaging and is the first hospital in north Dallas and Collin County to offer minimally invasive robotic surgery for gynecology and prostate procedures through the FDA approved da Vinci® S Surgical System. The hospital has won several quality awards including the Texas Health Care Quality Improvement Award of Excellence and is designated a Pathway to Excellence™ healthcare organization by American Nurses Credentialing Center.
As part of Baylor Health Care System, Baylor Plano offers patients access to innovative treatments and clinical trials performed through Baylor Research Institute in such areas as oncology and cardiovascular services. The Baylor Plano campus is the home of THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano, the first dedicated heart hospital in Collin County. For fiscal year 2007, Baylor Health Care System will report $390 million* in community benefit, which includes providing care for charity patients and patients enrolled in government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, as well as the unreimbursed costs of medical education, research and community programs.
For a physician referral, call toll free 1-800-4-BAYLOR.
*Represents preliminary information that will be reported to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Physicians are members of the medical staff at one of Baylor Health Care System¹s subsidiary, community or affiliated medical centers and are neither employees nor agents of those medical centers, Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano, or Baylor Health Care System.
CONTACT:
Susan Hall
214.820.1817
susanh@baylorhealth.edu
Janeen Browning
469.814.2107
janeenbr@baylorhealth.edu
About Baylor Scott & White Health
As the largest not-for-profit health system in the state of Texas, Baylor Scott & White promotes the health and well-being of every individual, family and community it serves. It is committed to making quality care more accessible, convenient and affordable through its integrated delivery network, which includes the Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, the Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance and its leading digital health platform – MyBSWHealth. Through 51 hospitals and more than 1,200 access points, including flagship academic medical centers in Dallas, Fort Worth and Temple, the system offers the full continuum of care, from primary to award-winning specialty care. Founded as a Christian ministry of healing more than a century ago, Baylor Scott & White today serves more than three million Texans. For more information, visit: BSWHealth.com