ASHE continues to lead health care sustainability

For the fifth year in a row, the American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) has received the 2023 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year — Sustained Excellence Award from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy. 

The Sustained Excellence Award is the highest honor bestowed by the ENERGY STAR program and recognizes organizations that have made a long-term commitment to fighting climate change. This also marks the seventh consecutive year that ASHE has won an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award. 

“Receiving this award for a seventh year recognizes our members’ ongoing dedication to reducing their carbon footprint, supporting more sustainable health care facilities,” says Kara Brooks, ASHE senior associate director of sustainability. “We are excited to build on our previous success and support hospitals in achieving their goals.”

ASHE provides resources and programs tailored for hospitals, which have unique energy needs due to the around-the-clock operation and energy-intensive medical equipment. ASHE’s Energy to Care® Program helps hospitals track sustainability metrics, become more efficient, and redirect energy and water savings toward patient care. Energy to Care challenges, awards, hosted programs and publications raise awareness about the importance of sustainability in health care. ASHE’s efforts have contributed to increased efficiency in hospitals across the country:

• Hospitals in the Energy to Care program have saved more than $550 million (and counting) in collective energy savings.

• In 2014, 239 facilities participated in Energy to Care. Today, more than 4,400 facilities are participating.

• In 2022, 120 hospitals earned an Energy to Care award by reducing consumption by 10% in a single year or 15% over two years.

• In 2022, 585 facilities in the Energy to Care program earned ENERGY STAR scores of 75 or more.