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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has named NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for its outstanding contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through leadership in energy management. NewYork-Presbyterian's accomplishments will be recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on March 15, 2005.

NewYork-Presbyterian, an ENERGY STAR partner since 2003, has been recognized for sustaining smart energy management practices and investments throughout its operations, including a total energy savings of $700,000 through capital improvements and efficient operating strategies.

"Every dollar saved on energy costs is a dollar that is devoted to improving medical care for our patients," says Dr. Herbert Pardes, president and CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian.

NewYork-Presbyterian's energy efficiency accomplishments include:

• A reduction of 8,287,305 lbs of CO₂ output;
• The establishment of a $1.5 million budget for energy efficiency retrofits;
• Committed New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) funding of $1.1 million;
• The appointment of a full-time management-level position dedicated to maximizing energy savings, the Energy Programs Manager;
• The establishment of energy management policies that include technical studies and implementation of energy saving capital improvements; procurement of ENERGY STAR-qualified products; design and construction of energy efficient buildings and renovations; and the promotion of the EPA ENERGY STAR program among the Hospital's 33 network affiliates; and
• The creation of Hospital-sponsored energy-related events throughout the year; a conservation hotline, which allows staff, patients, or visitors to submit energy-saving ideas; and an employee recognition program called the Service Star, an award for contributions that improve energy savings.

"This award recognizes our Hospital's ongoing commitment to forward-looking environmental practices," says Robert Volland, senior vice president of real estate and facilities at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. "As an ENERGY STAR partner, we value superior energy performance in our organization – it's good for our bottom line and good for the environment."

"As an ENERGY STAR partner, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital has distinguished itself by demanding superior energy performance and seeing real results," said Kathleen Hogan, director of EPA's Climate Protection Partnerships Division.

The Partner of the Year Award is given to a variety of organizations to recognize their efforts to use energy efficiently in facility operations and to integrate energy efficiency into overall organizational strategy. These Award winners are selected from thousands of organizations that participate in the ENERGY STAR program.

Across the U.S., top companies and organizations are discovering the value of strategic energy management through participation in ENERGY STAR. Last year alone, Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved about $10 billion on their energy bills while reducing greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 20 million cars.

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital – based in New York City – is the largest not-for-profit, non-sectarian hospital in the country, with 2,397 beds. It 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, Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian, The Allen Pavilion, and The 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 consistently ranks as one of the top hospitals in the country in U.S.News & World Report's guide to "America's Best Hospitals," in New York magazine's Best Doctors issue, in Solucient's top 15 major teaching hospitals, and in many other leading surveys. The Hospital has academic affiliations with two of the country's leading medical colleges: Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

The NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System – which includes acute-care and community hospitals, long-term care facilities, ambulatory sites, and specialty institutes – is committed to providing high-quality, cost-effective, and conveniently accessible care to communities throughout the tri-state metropolitan region. The System serves one in four patients in the New York metropolitan area.

About ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR was introduced by the US Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce air pollution through increased energy efficiency. The program offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy, money and help protect the environment for future generations. More than 7,000 organizations have become ENERGY STAR partners and are committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes and businesses. For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov or call toll-free 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937).