Aurora Health Care Hospitals Recognized For Sustainability Efforts

***Submitted Article***

Aurora Medical Center – Oshkosh is one of only 10 hospitals nationwide to be recognized with the 2023 Sustainability Championship Award, granted by the American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE), which is part of the American Hospital Association.  Aurora Health Care Facilities Operations teams were recognized at the (ASHE) organization’s annual conference in San Antonio Aug. 6-9.  

To qualify for this award, which is part of the ASHE Energy to Care program, a hospital must achieve an Environmental Protection Agency ENERGY STAR score of 75 or higher, possess ENERGY STAR certification, and diligently track energy water and greenhouse gas emissions. The site must also be able to represent sustainability measures taken above and beyond peer applicants. 

In addition to best-in-class building performance, Aurora Medical Center – Oshkosh was acknowledged for installing solar panels, recovering condensate water from HVAC coils to cooling towers, and planning and installing a “food forest” for teammates and the community. 

“We’re committed to increasing sustainability and conserving natural resources for our communities today as well as our future generations as part of our commitment to helping people live well,” says Jeff Bard, hospital president at Aurora Medical Center — Oshkosh. “I am proud Aurora Medical Center – Oshkosh is helping to set that precedent.”  

Additionally, Oshkosh, as well as five other Aurora Health Care hospitals, are among 31 hospitals that received ASHE’s Sustained Performance Award across the nation. They include Aurora Medical Center – Manitowoc County, Aurora Lakeland Medical Center, Aurora Medical Center – Grafton, Aurora Medical Center – Burlington, and Aurora St. Luke’s South Shore.  

The Sustained Performance award was given to hospitals that continued to accomplish sustainability goals for further reducing or maintaining reduced emissions.  The main measurement is a 75 or above EnergyStar score increasing over a multi-year period. A 75 EnergyStar correlates to the top 25% of building performance measured by utility usage. 

ASHE Energy to Care Awards celebrate facilities accomplishing sustainability goals that pave the way for environmental stewardship, and responsibility in their healthcare organizations to support healthy, equitable, and resilient environments and communities maintained over time.   

“It’s an honor for our facilities operations teams to be recognized by ASHE/AHA as top performers across the nation, maintaining national high-water marks in energy use per square foot of our non-acute, ambulatory and hospital fleet,” says Jedd Winkler, Energy Program Manager at Aurora Health Care.