Healthy Work/Healthy Home
Healthy Work/Healthy Home Event Celebrates Alternative Transportation
Eric Buehrens, Interim President and CEO, joined Nicole Freedman, Director of Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino's Bike Programs, for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate BIDMC's commitment to the city's new "Hubway" bike share program.
Environmental sustainability is part of everyone's job description at BIDMC. In recent years, as one environmental crisis after another leapfrogged to the public's attention, staff here quietly took important steps - as individuals and departmental units - to reduce both waste production and energy consumption.
On Tuesday, April 26, BIDMC's commitment to environmental sustainability was celebrated at the 13th Annual Healthy Work/Healthy Home event. During the kick-off breakfast, 25 staff members were recognized for their efforts and awarded with a BIDMC Environmental Champion green fleece jacket.
Eric Buehrens, Interim President and CEO, thanked the hospital leadership represented on the Environmental Sustainability Committee, as well as the Healthy Work/Healthy Home Committee members and the 25 new Environmental Champions for their work in reducing BIDMC's carbon footprint. "The key is sustainability," he said. "We're creating new systems and new ways of doing business that help us reduce waste, conserve water, energy and fuel, and reduce environmental hazards. We're reducing, reusing and recycling more than we ever imagined. And my favorite is that we are now composting in the east and west campus cafeterias!"
Click here to watch a short video explaining how to compost at BIDMC.
This year's Environmental Champion initiatives include reducing hazardous chemicals in research labs, increased recycling efforts throughout the medical center, and the introduction of composting in the east and west campus cafeterias. Click here to read about all the winners.
Sustainable transportation was the theme of this year's breakfast and Environmental Action Fair. The video below featured staff members talking about how they travel to work by walking, biking, carpooling or via MBTA systems to save money and help the environment.
Nicole Freedman, Director of Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino's Bike Programs, gave the keynote breakfast address and thanked BIDMC and its staff for being so committed to protecting the environment. "Thank you all for all the work you do in making BIDMC among the most environmentally friendly businesses in the city," Freedman said after donning her honorary Environmental Champion fleece presented by Buehrens and Healthy Work/Healthy Home Committee Chair Jane Matlaw, Director, Community Relations.
Freedman, who would later join Buehrens for a ceremonial ribbon-cutting to commemorate BIDMC's financial support in creating the new city-wide "Hubway" Bike Share Program, spoke of how Boston has gone from winning bike magazine awards for being one of the most dangerous cities for bikers to one of the most improved/safest.
When installed in June, the BIDMC-sponsored Hubway bike share station will be located in front of the Carl J. and Ruth Shapiro Clinical Center on Brookline Avenue.
During the Environmental Action fair, hundreds of staff members signed pledge cards to take sustainable actions in the coming year and in return received a Healthy Work/Healthy Home insulated lunch tote bag. They also learned about the BIDMC Walking Club, Tanger Be Well Center's Choose to Move weight-loss program, the Farm-to-Family Food Share Program to benefit patients at Bowdoin Street Health Center, BIDMC's Heart Walk and Aids Walk Teams, and they recycled more than 300 pounds of private electronic waste, such as home computers, printers, etc… More than 30 staff members also received free tune-ups to their bikes.
"This has been an amazing year for BIDMC," said Matlaw. "Staff are engaged in all of our efforts and are coming up with new suggestions every day for how we can further reduce waste. These efforts resulted in our being honored by Practice Greenhealth's Partners for Change Award With distinction this year!"
Click here to read about this year's Evironmental Action Award Winners
To learn about past Environmental Awareness Days and Award winners, follow the links below.
April 27th, 2010- 12th Annual Healthy Work/Healthy Home Event
April 28th, 2009 - 11th Annual Healthy Work/Healthy Home Event
April 29th, 2008 - 10th Annual Healthy Work/Healthy Home Event
Environmental Action Award Winners 2010
Environmental Action Award Winners 2009
Environmental Action Award Winners 2008
Environmental Action Award Winners 2007
Environmental Action Award Winners 2006