Greening up: Students help hospital take own temperature

Aurora BayCare Medical Center in Green Bay promotes itself externally as one of America’s top 50 heart hospitals.

Now, with a boost from UW-Green Bay, the Environmental Management and Business Institute (EMBI) and student interns (left to right in photo, Shaun Raganyi, Matthew Peter, and John Arendt), Aurora BayCare is promoting efforts internally to reduce its energy needs and waste streams.

Each intern concentrated on a piece of the mission of the healthcare project, and worked collaboratively to ensure the overall success of the project.

Since its inception in May 2010, the project involving the students has resulted in creation of both an “Energy Team” and a “Green Team,” better communication of sustainable success stories to hospital employees, and documentation and analysis of waste-reduction efforts. Aurora BayCare will now also explore renewable energy options, training for staff, and the potential for adapting best practices from sister institutions.

“The Aurora/EMBI Healthcare project has provided real world energy management and sustainable project development to compliment our learning experience at UW-Green Bay,” said Arendt. “Each intern looks forward to continuing our experience as we leave higher education for the private or public sector.”

The team’s accomplishments and potential for future projects are listed below:

Accomplishments
• An Energy Team was established to assess programs and facilitate projects.
• An internal web page has been developed to share energy successes with employees.
• Waste streams have been analyzed and documented for future waste reduction efforts.
• A Green Team was established to generate sustainable ideas.
• Potential renewable energy opportunities have been studied.

Future Projects
• Provide waste and energy savings training to nursing and staff.
• Travel to Grafton to review LEED design and practices in the newest Aurora hospital and share adaptable ideas with Aurora BayCare.