Sustainability in health care focus of Wright State symposium

Keynote speaker Timothy P. Jones, president and CEO of Northern Berkshire Healthcare in Massachusetts

Experts on employing practical, environmentally responsible strategies for medical facilities will highlight the third annual Symposium on Sustainability in Health Care at Wright State University.

The symposium has become one of the more highly regarded health care forums on current best practices in clinical and facility sustainability.

Co-sponsored by Wright State and Heapy Engineering, the March 26 event features talks, panel discussions, a trade expo, with nearly 50 exhibitors and many networking opportunities.

Senior health care administrators, medical practitioners, building design and construction professionals, nursing and clinical staff, medical students and educators, environmental health and safety personnel and health care facility managers should consider attending.

Timothy P. Jones, president and CEO of Northern Berkshire Healthcare in Massachusetts, will give the keynote address.

Prior to coming to Northern Berkshire, Jones was the chief operating officer and administrator at the Natick, Mass.-based MetroWest Medical Center Leonard Morse Hospital, which won the top environmental award from Practice Greenhealth, the Environmental Leadership Award.

Others scheduled to appear on panels for discussions on sustainability in clinical operations and infrastructure include:

• Judith Focareta, coordinator of environmental health initiatives at Magee-Womens Hospital of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Magee has won the highest environmental achievement award from Practice Greenhealth for its practices, including waste reduction efforts and greening of the operating room.
• Maj. David Zajac, chief of logistics and chair of the sustainability committee at Evans Army Community Hospital in Fort Carson, Colo. The sustainability efforts of Zajac’s team have saved the hospital more than $500,000 a year.
• John D. Turenne, president and founder of Sustainable Food Systems, executive chef at Yale University and creator of the Yale Sustainable Food Project.
• Kenneth Knight, director of facilities services for TriHealth Cincinnati, which won the 2011 Green Business award for Policy/Nonprofit Organizations.
• Brian Garbecki, vice president and healthcare excellence leader of the Gilbane Building Company based in West Jefferson, Ohio. Gilbane has built more than 25 health-care buildings that are LEED certified or seeking LEED certification.
• Roy Gunsolus, principal and director of sustainable health care for HKS Architects. Gunsolus has managed the design of over 5 million SF of health care projects and is responsible for educating the firm’s health care staff and directing their implementation of sustainable initiatives.

The symposium, which runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., will be held in the Student Union on the Wright State campus. The registration fee of $55 includes lunch.

Heapy Engineering, nationally recognized for its leadership in sustainable design, provides MEP design, energy, commissioning, technology and planning services primarily for the health care, higher education, government and cultural markets. The Dayton-based company is involved in over 280 LEED projects, with greater than 50 percent of certified projects attaining GOLD and PLATINUM certification. Heapy Engineering was the engineer for the Indu and Raj Soin Medical Center in Beavercreek and the new $180 million Mercy West Hospital in Cincinnati.

For more information, please visit: http://bit.ly/SSHC-13