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Progress in Bloom

Green Ideas Take Root at Local Hospitals

As the benefits — both financial and ecological — of ‘green’ thinking sweep the business world, health care has taken a major role in the shift. Locally, hospitals are casting an earth-friendly eye toward how they power their facilities, what chemicals and supplies they use to sanitize rooms, how they dispose of waste, and any number of other daily jobs. Hospital administrators say the public, particularly in progressive Western Mass., expects large institutions of all kinds to be aware of the footprint they cast on their environment. They say such changes can be good for patients’ health — but also realize that going green can benefit the bottom line. Here’s a look at what area hospitals are doing in the ‘green’ realm.

Mercy Medical Center: No Trash Left Behind