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Demonstrating the overlapping benefits of healing and good environmental stewardship, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital now uses cleaning chemicals that are certified as safer for humans and for the great outdoors.

The Hospital has implemented a green cleaning package — the Green Earth® program by Betco Corporation of Toledo, Ohio — that consists of procedures, equipment and cleaning products that are independently Green Seal certified. As part of its agreement with the Hospital, Betco will help train more than 800 environmental services staff at the Hospital in proper cleaning procedures.

"This cleaning program reflects our commitment to proving a healthy and clean environment for our patients and staff, and doing our part to reduce our impact on the environment," says Kenneth Haber, vice president of patient support services at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. "All of our major medical centers are making the switch, and everyone will be using the new products by the end of July."

A Strong Environmental Commitment

The green cleaning initiative is one of several environmentally-conscious programs recently initiated by NewYork-Presbyterian.

This April, the Hospital was honored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the fourth consecutive year with an ENERGY STAR award, recognizing its leadership in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency.

Environmentally friendly investments include two new buildings constructed to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards: the Vivian and Seymour Milstein Family Heart Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center and the First Avenue development at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Additionally, the Hospital gives away hundreds of energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) to employees as part of its "Change a Light, Change the World" campaign. NewYork-Presbyterian is also in the process of expanding its recycling program, which currently consists of paper, cardboard and various other items.

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, based in New York City, is the nation's largest not-for-profit, non-sectarian hospital, with 2,242 beds. The Hospital has nearly 2 million patient visits in a year, including more than 230,000 visits to its emergency departments — more than any other area hospital. NewYork-Presbyterian provides state-of-the-art inpatient, ambulatory and preventive care in all areas of medicine at five major centers: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Allen Pavilion and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Westchester Division. One of the largest and most comprehensive health-care institutions in the world, the Hospital is committed to excellence in patient care, research, education and community service. It ranks sixth in U.S.News & World Report's guide to "America's Best Hospitals," ranks first on New York magazine's "Best Hospitals" survey, has the greatest number of physicians listed in New York magazine's "Best Doctors" issue, and is included among Solucient's top 15 major teaching hospitals. The Hospital's mortality rates are among the lowest for heart attack and heart failure in the country, according to a 2007 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) report card. The Hospital has academic affiliations with two of the nation's leading medical colleges: Weill Cornell Medical College and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. For more information, visit www.nyp.org.