Environmental sustainability
Taking care of our environment is critical to ensure good health for our patients, employees and our community. Staff at the United Hospital – Hastings Regina Campus have already taken many steps to reduce energy usage and waste production. They were the first site in the Allina Health system to start a Green Team in 2021 and they have been a model for the rest of the system.
Practice Greenhealth’s Partner for Change Award
Awards
United Hospital - Hastings Regina Campus earned a Practice Greenhealth Partner for Change Award for the fourth year in a row. The award recognizes superior performance in a range of different sustainability programs and activities including energy, waste, procurement, and greening the operating room.
Green Team
Regina Campus staff started the first Allina Health Sustainability Green Team in 2021, following the hire of Allina’s first sustainability staff. Since many staff also worked at the River Falls Area Hospital joined and the green team works in tandem on projects at both sites. The green team coordinates and leads sustainability efforts.
Waste reduction
The Regina campus staff have made excellent use of the Rheaply reuse platform for Allina Health sites. Surplus cubicles from Apple Valley Clinic were turned into private workspaces for staff at the United Hospital Cancer Center at Regina Hospital.
Aided by a Dakota County grant and Minnesota Wastewise, the Regina campus has 150 new recycling bins and 70 new trash bins and new signage.
Bins purchased/accumulated as apart of Regina’s recycling bin project. Right: Facilities Manager Warren Gavitt using the new recycle bins at the Regina campus
The site also sends organic scraps from food service to Barthold Farms for animal feed. The site also recycles blue wrap, a covering for sterilization trays, through Merrick, Inc.
In addition, surplus medical equipment and supplies are donated to Matter. Matter sends the material to hospitals and clinics in places like Senegal, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and Kenya.
Rheaply
In 2021, Allina Health created the system’s first ever circular economy program through a partnership with Rheaply. Rheaply is a reuse platform that allows staff to post unused and surplus items, and exchange them with internal staff or external donation partners. This is a major waste diversion and cost savings initiative for the entire system.
Energy efficiency
The green team leaned into energy efficiency by:
- converting to LED lighting throughout the campus
- updating Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) to be more energy efficient
- using the building management system to increase the efficiency of heating and cooling when space is not occupied.