As a mission-based organization, Mercy Health has a continued commitment to the health and wellbeing of the patients and communities it serves. That includes a commitment to developing a sustainable culture through environmental stewardship and working with others to protect the environment and our communities’ health now and for future generations.  
 
Through efforts coordinated by a collaborative council of multi-disciplinary stakeholders across our ministry, Bon Secours Mercy Health and Mercy Health – Toledo implemented system-wide sustainable initiatives that earned environmental excellence awards from Practice Greenhealth, a leading sustainability member organization for hospital networks.

Each of Mercy Health’s seven hospital in the Toledo region were recognized for their sustainability efforts, including Mercy Health – St. Vincent Medical Center, Mercy Health – St. Charles Hospital, Mercy Health – St. Anne Hospital, Mercy Health – Perrysburg Hospital, Mercy Health – Tiffin Hospital, Mercy Health – Willard Hospital and Mercy Health – Defiance Hospital. 

“As health care providers caring for our community, Mercy Health is keenly aware that the health of the environment has a direct impact on human health outcomes,” said Jennifer Discher, vice president of Mercy Health – Toledo Mission. “We believe in our ability to heal and the ensuing responsibility to be good stewards of the resources in front of us. Not only are we called upon to address the effects of environmental degradation on the physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing of our community, but to engage in sustainable practices that leave the Earth a better place for future generations.”

Of note, Mercy Health – St. Anne Hospital initiated a program to curtail the unavoidable waste associated with the traditional hospital storage and distribution of nitrous oxide. Additionally, the cafeterias in all hospitals substantially reduced the amount of styrofoam used as well as continued implementation of a compost program in partnership with GoZero that reduces food waste. Specifically, the culinary teams at Mercy Health – St. Vincent Medical Center collect all the food scraps and unusable parts of food, measure it and use specially designed composting trash cans to dispose of it.

Bon Secours Mercy Health, for the second consecutive year, won the System for Change Award, which recognizes health systems that are working cohesively to set system-wide sustainability goals, track performance data, benchmark and support intra-organizational learning and implementation within their institutions.  
 
Major health system successes that led to the award include: 

  • Achieving system-level recycling at Practice Greenhealth’s median percentage; Bon Secours Mercy Health’s average of 27 percent exceeds Practice Greenhealth’s target.
  • Successfully confirming system-level elimination of PVC/DEHP from glove, breast pumps and their nutrition accessories such as feeding tubes. 

“I am very grateful for all the many diligent efforts exerted to once again achieve this significant recognition and move this important work forward. We are unified in a shared concern for Earth and all its inhabitants. I feel blessed to be part of an organization doing its part to care for our common home,” said Noah Dunlap, vice president of insights and innovation for Bon Secours Mercy Health and Advantus Health Partners, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bon Secours Mercy Health. These successful initiatives illustrate the commitment Bon Secours Mercy Health has to instilling a sustainable culture in every area of health care.  
 
Toledo’s area hospitals were among 31 Bon Secours Mercy Health hospitals throughout Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia and South Carolina that earned either the Partner for Change or Partner Recognition Award from Practice Greenhealth.