by Thomas Hobson
Child Life Director

I’ve talk about the dedication that Le Bonheur Children’s has to children’s health and the wellbeing of children and their families.  What I don’t talk about often is the hospital’s dedication to the community and the world.  So, today, I thought I would start by telling you about how the new Le Bonheur Children’s will be green and will apply for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

LEED is an internationally recognized certification program that focuses on “the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.” It was established in 2000 by the U.S. Green Building Council, and focuses on five major categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality.  All factors are evaluated and then a score is given.  Le Bonheur Children’s is hoping to have the results in 2011.  To put this in perspective, nationally, less than 3 percent of hospitals (not just children’s hospitals) are LEED certified.

It has been exciting to watch the new hospital building being built at Poplar and Dunlap.  If you are like me, you’ve been following the progress since the previous structure on the site was being torn down.  What you may not realize is all of the green initiatives you were witnessing.  For instance, at least 50 percent of the demolition waste was recycled.  Additionally, the new building is built with recycled steel and concrete.

The green initiatives don’t stop there.  The hospital operates 24-hours a day, seven-days a week, and uses a great deal of energy.  The new Le Bonheur Children’s is designed with plumbing fixtures that will reduce water consumption by over 20 percent.  In the design of the new building, the building will capture the maximum possible natural light.  This is additionally beneficial for the healing process, as research in design has seen on the impact of healing.

There have also been several steps to reduce CO2. For instance, a preference was given to construction materials with recycled content and materials from within 500 miles.  Additionally, a recycling program has been put in place for staff and visitors.

One final note is the modular energy plant that has been installed onsite.  The plant, which was built by Johnson Controls, is the largest of its kind in the country.  Everything from a fire pump to chillers to boilers to emergency power is included in the modular energy plant.  What’s more amazing is that the new plant is approximately 14 percent more efficient.

It’s easy to see that Le Bonheur has made being green a big part of the hospitals identity.  There are still more efforts that the hospital is taking to be sustainable.  Check back next week, and I’ll tell you more about it.