BACKGROUND: According to a recent article published in The Lancet, only about 2 percent of U.S. health care construction is "green." In 1995, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cited medical waste incinerators as a leading producer of airborne carcinogenic dioxins. It also said that health care waste was responsible for 10 percent of mercury air emissions. Health care facilities generate 2 million tons of waste per year, and health care accounts for 11 percent of all commercial energy use.

THE AIM TO GO GREEN: It's a growing trend. More and more hospitals around the country are going green. Green hospitals make sense for the health of the entire community: patients, staff and visitors. By taking up green practices, many hospitals are managing to lower energy bills, reduce waste and achieve healthier indoor air.

THE CRITERIA: According to greenerbuildings.com, there are several criteria to assess whether a hospital is truly "green." Some of these include: • Siting: Was the hospital sited with consideration for alternative transportation, storm water management, urban redevelopment and reducing impact on the surrounding environment? • Water Efficiency: Is the hospital water-efficient, taking advantage of landscaping, water use reduction and innovative waste water use? • Energy and Air Pollution: What has the hospital done to reduce energy consumption and atmospheric pollution? • Materials and Resources: Does the hospital use recycled building materials and resources? • Indoor Environmental Quality: What has the hospital done to improve indoor air quality? • Healthy Hospital Food: Do patient and staff meals include fresh, local and organic foods? • Green Education: Does the hospital train staff in waste reduction, toxics reduction and recycling? • Procurement: Does the hospital seek out recycled paper, water-efficient laundering, energy-efficient equipment or other green products? • Contaminants: Does the hospital have a program for reduction of toxics such as mercury and PVC? • Green Cleaning: Does the hospital use cleaning products that do not release hazardous chemicals? • Waste reduction: Does the hospital have a program to segregate medical waste and to reduce, re-use and recycle general waste and equipment that are no longer needed? • Healing Gardens: Does the hospital have healing gardens where patients, staff and visitors can reflect, relieve stress and reconnect with nature?