Washington Hospital Healthcare System, located in Fremont, Calif., has received two awards from Practice Greenhealth, an organization dedicated to environmental sustainability in healthcare.

The hospital was honored with a 2017 Partner for Change Award, and a 2017 Greening the OR Recognition Award.

The Partner for Change Award recognizes healthcare facilities that continuously improve and expand upon programs to eliminate mercury, reduce and recycle waste, source products sustainably, and more. Winning facilities must demonstrate that they are recycling at least 15 percent of their total waste, have reduced regulated medical waste, are on track to eliminate mercury, and have developed successful sustainability programs in many areas.

The OR Recognition Award acknowledges facilities that demonstrate success in reducing the environmental impact of its surgical suites. Operating rooms are large contributors to a healthcare facility’s environmental footprint, creating opportunity for significant cost savings and sustainability improvements. The award builds on the Greening the OR Initiative led by Practice Greenhealth, which in 2015 alone helped participating facilities save $41.7 million while avoiding 2,150 tons of waste and more than 9 million kWhs of energy.

The awards were presented at the Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellence Awards Gala earlier this month in Minneapolis, Minn., at the conclusion of the CleanMed Conference & Exhibition.