Sustainability Initiatives for Beaumont Health System (2014)

Beaumont Health System, an integrated delivery network with over 1,600 beds across three hospitals in eastern Michigan, is teaming up with a group of University of Michigan (U of M) Masters Students, Practice Greenhealth (PGH) and Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) to research and implement various sustainability initiatives that will earn Beaumont LEED credits with the goal of achieving LEED EBOM certification for their Royal Oak campus. U of M students from the School of Natural Resources and Environment will investigate and analyze the feasibility of implementing sustainability strategies that align with specific LEED credits, with a focus on Sustainable Sites, Energy & Atmosphere and Innovation in Operations. The project aims to help Beaumont Royal Oak Hospital, a sprawling campus of nearly 1.3 million square feet, reduce energy use, develop sustainable stormwater management strategies, create green spaces that support healing and caregiver respite, and become a model for other healthcare facilities relative to LEED EBOM certification of a healthcare campus. The team will highlight how a partnership with masters level programs at academic institutions can benefit hospitals interested in exploring both the return on investment and appropriate implementation strategies for sustainability initiatives. JLL will be providing frontline exposure to the LEED rating and documentation system, while PGH will provide both peer-to-peer connectivity related to implementation of specific credits as well as documenting the organizational learning process to benefit its hospital members.