NEW YORK-The Weill Cornell Medical Center of the New York Presbyterian Hosptial has been awarded for helping the environment.
The hospital has been given membership to the EPA National Track Program for exceeding environmental protection requirements during the last 18 months.
The 786-bed teaching and research facility worked with Walsh Integrated Environmental Systems Inc., to manage their medical waste. Using a tracking system, the hospital reduced medical waste by 65%, dioxin and mercury pollution by 90% and costs by 60% in the first year.
These improvements put the Weill Cornell Center as a national leader in environmental improvements in healthcare. The hospital used Walsh's comprehensive in-service program to train more than 4000 workers and reduce medical waste by 900,000 pounds annually.