Lincoln Memorial Recognized as Health Care ‘Climate Champion’

[February 14, 2022]  Lincoln Memorial Hospital was named a 2021 Climate Champion by Health Care Without Harm, a national organization that annually recognizes health care groups who take steps to reduce their carbon footprint.

As a participant in Health Care Without Harm’s Health Care Climate Challenge, the nonprofit hospital received the following: a silver award for GHG Reduction Energy and a gold award for Climate Resilience.

“Lincoln Memorial Hospital is committed to reducing our carbon footprint and educating our colleagues and our community about the implications of climate change on public health,” said Dolan Dalpoas, president and CEO of Lincoln Memorial Hospital.

Dalpoas said the hospital has implemented several energy cost-saving initiatives, resulting in approximately $70,000 in savings each year. Those initiatives include swapping out lightbulbs – including the halogen lights in the parking lots – for LED bulbs, and turning down the thermostats in unoccupied patient rooms.

In addition, the hospital’s cafeteria has reduced food waste by repackaging unpurchased food left from lunch to provide meals for staff working overnight shifts. The hospital also installed a rain monitoring system to best gauge how much water is needed to maintain landscaping. High-efficiency boilers were also recently installed at Lincoln Memorial Hospital.

The Health Care Climate Challenge has more than 300 participants, representing the interests of more than 28,000 hospitals and health centers in 40 countries, according to the Health Care Without Harm’s website.

“We are honored to receive this recognition,” said Dalpoas, “and we’re honored to be part of a global community of health care institutions leading the transformation to more climate-smart health care.”

[Michael Leathers]