Environmental Excellence Awards Overview

Get recognition for the great environmental work you do! There is an award to fit any organization committed to environmental improvement. Learn more about each of the Environmental Excellence Awards below.

Partner Recognition (PR)

Partner Recognition rewards facilities that have begun to work on environmental improvements and achieved some progress. This award is for those facilities that have made a commitment but do not yet meet the criteria of the other awards.

Making Medicine Mercury-Free (MMMF)

The Making Medicine Mercury-Free award recognizes facilities that have virtually eliminated mercury from their facilities and have made a commitment to continue to be “mercury free.” There is a specific list of criteria to accomplish in order to receive the award. You may apply for this award at any time during the year.

Partner for Change (PFC)

The Partner for Change award recognizes facilities that continuously improve and expand upon their mercury elimination, waste reduction, and pollution prevention programs. At a minimum, facilities applying for this award should be recycling 10% of their solid waste, have begun mercury elimination programs with a plan in place for total elimination, and have developed other successful pollution prevention programs.

System for Change (SFC)

The Systems for Change Award recognizes health systems that are working cohesively to gather data, set system goals, benchmark, and share successes in environmental performance. The health system must have at least five hospitals or long-term care facilities, at least 75% of which must be members of Practice Greenhealth’s new organization. A minimum of 20% of the health system’s facilities must also apply for a Partner for Change award this year in order for the system to receive this award.

Champion for Change (CFC)

The Champion for Change award recognizes organizations that demonstrate successful accomplishments in ‘greening’ their own organization and have assisted their associated health care facility clients/ members/customers in improving their environmental performance. The CFC application is comprehensive, meant to cover virtually every aspect of an organization’s environmental initiatives and support for Practice Greenhealth’s programs. This award is for Organizational Partners ONLY – not for individual health care facilities.

Environmental Leadership Circle

The Environmental Leadership Circle is a permanent recognition granted to facilities and systems that exemplify environmental excellence in health care. This award is the premier Practice Greenhealth award recognizing health care facilities that are setting the highest standard for environmental practices in health care. Award winners are chosen by the Practice Greenhealth award review team from the top PFC applications. To be eligible, facilities must meet the criteria for the MMMF award, recycle at least 25% of their solid waste, and have implemented numerous other innovative pollution prevention programs. Facilities receive an Environmental Leadership Award as their induction into this prestigious group for their outstanding environmental performance.