Published: May 17, 2024
LANSING, Mich. – The University of Michigan Health-Sparrow’s Okemos Emergency Center has received a special national environmental designation for its innovative building and land design.
Officials from the U.S. Green Building Council formally announced that the center has received certification as a LEED facility, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The site is only the second health care project in Michigan to be certified under this version of LEED for building design and construction. It is also the first project in Okemos to receive the newest version of the certification.
The facility, which opened in 2022, has been a trailblazer in utilizing innovative environmental techniques to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and its carbon footprint, while providing care close to home. The Okemos Emergency Center, 2446 Jolly Road, Okemos, has dramatically reduced its use of water both indoors and outdoors through highly efficient irrigation and plumbing, has special lighting fixtures that reduce light pollution, has provided and protected significant open spaces on the site, and implemented a comprehensive solid-waste recycling policy to reduce waste going to landfills, among other initiatives.
“LEED certification is a sign that UM Health-Sparrow leadership ‘gets it’ and is conscious of the importance to decarbonize the health care sector, reducing the carbon footprint … all with a UM Health and Michigan Medicine goal to save our planet while saving patient lives,” said Tony Denton, senior vice president and chief environmental, social and governance officer for UM Health.
Lana Crouse, regional director of the U.S. Green Building Council, noted that more than 100,000 commercial and institutional projects participate in LEED throughout the world, promoting strategies that promote sustainable design and construction.
“By earning LEED certification, the Okemos Emergency Center demonstrates a strong commitment to the health, comfort and well-being of its patients, employees, visitors and the larger Okemos community,” Crouse said.
For more information about UM Health-Sparrow, go to UofMHealthSparrow.org.
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University of Michigan Health-Sparrow is Mid-Michigan’s premier health care organization and includes hospitals in Lansing, Carson City, Charlotte, Ionia and St. Johns, as well as UM Health-Sparrow Specialty Hospital, Care Network, the Michigan Athletic Club, and AL!VE. UM Health-Sparrow is part of University of Michigan Health. Through the dedication of our 10,000 team members, UM Health-Sparrow pursues a vision to be nationally recognized as a leader in quality and patient experience. For more information, visit UofMHealthSparrow.org.