Advocate Health Care’s sustainability efforts honored
Oak Brook, III— Recognized for its determination to lower energy consumption, reduce waste and its commitment to environmental stewardship, Advocate Health Care, has been given the 2013 Sustainable Environmental Business Practices award from Social Enterprise Networks (SEN), a network of members within Young Presidents Organization (YPO).
The annual award is sponsored by SEN, which connect YPO members with a shared commitment to philanthropic, humanitarian and social enterprise endeavors. YPO is a not-for-profit, global network of young chief executives connected around the shared mission of becoming Better Leaders Through Education and Idea ExchangeTM.
In granting the honor, SEN said Advocate has an excellent track record for energy management strategies within the healthcare industry. The resulting financial savings and the reduction of emissions are a key part of the Advocate’s commitment to the environmental health of the communities it serves. Every staff member is encouraged to embrace ownership of the company’s sustainability goals during day-to-day operations, SEN said.
Among Advocate’s more than 32,000 associates, multiple green teams have been working to educate, raise awareness and develop environmental protection strategies across the system, and the efforts are paying off says Mary Larsen, manager of environmental stewardship at Advocate.
“Our emphasis on environmental stewardship aligns with Advocate’s Mission, Values and Philosophy,” Larsen said. “Creating sustainable and environmentally sound practices ultimately benefits the patients we are privileged to serve with better health outcomes.”
Advocate is one of seven founding health systems, and three environmental non-government organizations, to sponsor the Healthier Hospitals Initiative (HHI), a coordinated sector-wide approach to improve environmental health and safety.
About Advocate Health Care
Advocate Health Care, named among the nation’s top health systems, is the largest health system in Illinois and one of the largest health care providers in the Midwest. Advocate operates more than 250 sites of care, including 10 acute care hospitals, the state’s largest integrated children’s network, five Level I trauma centers (the state’s highest designation in trauma care), two Level II trauma centers, one of the area’s largest home health care companies and one of the region’s largest medical groups. Advocate Health Care trains more primary care physicians and residents at its four teaching hospitals than any other health system in the state. As a not-for-profit, mission-based health system affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the United Church of Christ, Advocate contributed $571 million in charitable care and services to communities across Chicagoland and Central Illinois in 2011.
About SEN and YPO
The Social Enterprise Networks (SEN) Sustainability Awards honors YPO member companies for their commitment to making a difference to society at large. Every company honored is going beyond the bottom line through programs that make social responsibility an equal partner with profits. The annual award is sponsored by YPO's Social Enterprise Networks, which connect business leaders with a shared commitment to philanthropic, humanitarian and social enterprise endeavors. The 2013 award evaluated achievements in the categories of a) Economic Justices/Community Impact; b) Employee Impact; c) Sustainable Environmental Business Practices; d) Leadership and e) Philanthropic/Nonprofit Organisations.
YPO (Young Presidents’ Organization) is a not-for-profit, global network of young chief executives connected around the shared mission of becoming Better Leaders Through Education and Idea ExchangeTM. Founded in 1950, YPO today provides 20,000 peers and their families in more than 120 countries with access to unique experiences, world-class resources, alliances with top learning institutions, and specialized Networks that help them enhance their business, community and personal leadership. Altogether, YPO member-run companies employ more than 15 million people around the world and generate US$6 trillion in annual revenues.