Our Green Team, comprised of a representative body of hospital staff, sets goals, reviews, and measures our greening initiatives in coordination with UPMC’s systemwide Green Team. We are buying, building, and greening our operations from supply chain to waste management.
Environmental health and sustainability continue to be part of the culture of Magee as our staff contributes in both small and more significant ways through recycling, choosing alternative transportation, counseling childbearing families about environmental health, utilizing “green” cleaning products, reducing red bag waste, and much more.
Magee’s role as a health care leader and environmental steward has been recognized and supported by foundation funding from The Heinz Endowments and the Johnson Family Foundation.
Since 2005, we’ve utilized this specially-earmarked funding to expand our role in environmental community education, health change, and women’s and infants’ health research. Our leadership group comprises representatives from Magee’s major departments.
We’ve also partnered with other UPMC hospitals such as Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and the Center for Environmental Oncology at Hillman Cancer Center, UPMC Shadyside, as well as national organizations such as Physicians for Social Responsibility, Healthcare Without Harm, Learning Disabilities Association, Women’s Health and Environment Network, and Hospitals for a Healthy Environment.
At Magee-Womens Hospital we collaborate with a number of health care and community partners. Most notably in 2009, we partnered with Phipps Conservancy to create three organic courtyard gardens.
The vegetables and herbs are utilized in healthy foods for staff and patients. The gardens were made possible by a generous grant from the Heinz Endowments.
Our educators also work with tithe Center for Victims of Violence and Crime to plan workshops on environmental health literacy for health care providers working with under-served and minority communities.
For more information on environmental initiatives and education at Magee, contact:
Michele Ondeck
mondeck@mail.magee.edu
