Baptist East named finalist for Acorn Award

Baptist Hospital East’s “green” practices – from grass growing on a roof to an active employee recycling program – earned the hospital a finalist slot in the large corporation division of the first-ever Acorn Awards, presented in March by The Green Building. The local awards honor good environmental stewards using best practices, reducing waste and raising awareness of green issues.

Baptist East has incorporated green elements in recent construction projects, such as Park Tower’s greenscreen^® wall of twined honeysuckle and morning glories outside the chemotherapy treatment area, and its healing and rooftop gardens.

The Baptist Eastpoint outpatient services center includes a green roof and motion sensors which automatically shut off lights in unused office and break rooms. The roof of Baptist Eastpoint’s new radiation center is literally green. The roof is planted with sedum, a grass which doesn’t need mowing. Water-efficient landscaping surrounds the building. Low-emitting materials (paint, carpet, etc.) were used in the construction.

At Baptist East, an employee-based Green Team promotes recycling. The team purchased reusable plastic cups for all employees to use, cutting down on the use of plastic foam cups. Recycling was also established for batteries, paper, thin cardboard and some plastics.

The hospital uses energy-saving light bulbs, state-of-the-art floor scrubbers which virtually eliminate the need for wax-stripping chemicals, recycles shredded papers and lights have been turned off in all vending machines.