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EPA’s Trailblazer Award Honors Delaware’s Christiana Care Health System

Release Date: 11/19/2009
Contact Information: Donna Heron 215-814-5113 / heron.donna@epa.gov

NEWARK, Del. (November 19, 2009) -- In a ceremony today EPA recognized the Christiana Care Health System with a Trailblazer Award for its environmental leadership.

The award was presented to Christiana Care President and CEO Dr. Bob Laskowski by U.S. EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin at a meeting of the health system’s Environmental Stewardship Committee.

EPA’s Trailblazer Award – now in its third year -- recognizes hospitals in Delaware and Pennsylvania that are serving as models for other hospitals and are showing leadership in a particular area of sustainability. Ten hospitals have received the 2009 Trailblazer Award for helping all area hospitals to reduce their environmental footprint.

“Through its aggressive program in sustainable materials management, Christiana Care has taken a leadership role in helping to move environmental protection into a new phase,” said Garvin. “Waste prevention offers the greatest environmental benefits and provides substantial cost savings to organizations.”

“It is part of Christiana Care’s mission to care for our planet as we do for our community,” says Laskowski. “Reducing the amount of waste we produce, cutting air emissions and recycling more is one more way we are transforming Christiana Care.”

Christiana Care Health System is receiving the Trailblazer Award for committing to long-term purchasing of wind energy; significantly reducing its use of plastic and disposal products; developing environmental champions throughout the health system; committing to paperless record-keeping systems; using environmentally preferable purchasing practices; developing waste and energy conservation initiatives; and committing to making healthy foods available for patients and employees.

Medical care in the U.S. is about one-sixth of the nation’s economy. Since 1998 EPA has been working with the healthcare sector to reduce its environmental impact and to help find solutions for reducing pollution, which can make an enormous difference in environmental health and the financial bottom line.

For more information, go to: www.epa.gov/Region3/green/healthcare2009_07_02.html