Mayo facilities recognized for sustainability efforts

ROCHESTER, Minn. — A national organization focused on reducing health care's impact on the environment has recognized Mayo Clinic campuses in Arizona, Florida and Rochester, as well as Mayo Clinic Health System sites in Wisconsin, for their environmental sustainability efforts.

Practice Greenhealth, which represents health care organizations committed to continuous improvement in sustainability practices and programs, recently awarded institutions for their outstanding performance and leadership in sustainability. The awards recognize work that includes efforts to reduce and recycle waste, and environmental leadership at the local and national levels.

Mayo Clinic recently established an Office of Sustainability to oversee strategic sustainability priorities. As part of these sustainability efforts, Mayo Clinic included energy efficiency targets in contracts for project design and construction of the three-story expansion of the Generose Building on the Mayo Clinic Hospital — Rochester, Saint Marys Campus. These efforts will help Mayo reach its goal of reducing energy consumption on the Rochester campus by 30 percent by 2025. In addition, Mayo Clinic has focused on working with local communities on sustainability initiatives, conserving water, reducing medical and hazardous waste, and inviting colleagues to take part in sustainability efforts at home and at work.

The 2019 awards that recognize Mayo Clinic efforts are:

• Practice Greenhealth Emerald Award
  Mayo Clinic's Rochester campus, as well as Mayo Clinic Health System — Franciscan Healthcare in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, received the Practice Greenhealth Emerald Award. This award recognizes organizations that demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainability in areas such as energy conservation, reducing and recycling waste, and sustainable sourcing. Award winners also show leadership locally and in the health care sector.

• Practice Greenhealth Partner for Change Award
  Mayo Clinic's Arizona and Florida campuses received the Partner for Change award, which recognizes organizations that continuously improve and expand on programs to eliminate mercury, reduce and recycle waste, source products sustainably, and other initiatives.  

• Practice Greenhealth Greening the OR Recognition Award
  Mayo Clinic's Florida and Rochester campuses, as well as Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, received the Greening the OR Recognition Award for reducing the environmental impact of their surgical suites, which are large contributors to a facility's total environmental footprint.

"We are proud of this recognition, as it reflects the combined efforts — small to large — that our staff collectively put forth each day to live and practice our value of Stewardship," says Henry Tazelaar, M.D., chair of Mayo Clinic's Green Committee and medical director for the Office of Sustainability. "With our newly established Office of Sustainability, we are poised to make even more progress across our campuses in the coming years."

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Media contact:

• Kelley Luckstein, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu