Sustainability Initiatives for Beaumont Health System

Abstract

The Sustainability Initiatives for Beaumont Health System (SIBHS) masters project team worked with Beaumont Health System, Practice Greenhealth (PGH) and Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) to research and implement various sustainability initiatives to help Beaumont earn credits towards Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accreditation with the goal of achieving Existing Building Operations & Maintenance (LEED EBOM) certification for the Royal Oak campus. The SIBHS team investigated and analyzed the feasibility of implementing sustainability strategies that align with specific LEED credits, focusing on Sustainable Sites, Energy & Atmosphere and Innovation in Operations. The project aimed to help Beaumont Royal Oak Hospital, a sprawling campus of nearly 1.3 million square feet, reduce energy use, create green spaces that support healing and caregiver respite, improve communication about sustainability activities on campus, and become a model for other healthcare facilities pursuing LEED EBOM certification for a healthcare campus. The project highlighted 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 provided frontline exposure to the LEED rating and documentation system, while PGH provided peer-to-peer connectivity related to implementation of specific credits, as well as documentation of the organizational learning process to benefit its hospital members.