Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection

The Connecticut Healthcare Environmental Roundtable (CHER)

CHER provides a setting for hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare facilities to learn from each other by sharing ideas, presenting success stories, keeping up-to-date on available resources and discussing issues that affect the health care industry.  The group meets several times a year at a different host facility. The DEEP's Office of Pollution coordinates CHER, working closely with CT Green Building Council's Healthcare Committee, CT Children's Medical Center, Practice Greenhealth and the US EPA Region 1. If you would like to be on the mailing list and receive information on future events, contact Connie Mendolia.

  • September 26, 2014, Sustainable Solutions for Health Care
  • November 8, 2013, Heating Things Up at Gaylord Hospital
  • May 31, 2013, It Pays to Watch Your Waste
  • June 29, 2012, Heath Care Ventilation and Radiant/Induction Cooling: Challenges and Opportunities of Introducing Sustainable Practices into Health Care Design
  • May 16, 2012, Landscaping for Health and the Environment: Creating Sustainable, Attractive Landscaped Areas and Garden Spaces to Control Stormwater Runoff
  • October 15, 2010, Rethinking Healthcare The Greenway: A Roadmap to Sustainability (Note: This event was sponsored by several organizations. See below.)
  • December 8, 2009, Measuring Matters
  • March 17, 2009, CT Hospital Association (CHA), "Go Green" Forum. (Note: This event was sponsored by CHA and was not a CHER event.) 
  • June 13, 2008, Hospitals Step Up To The Plate: Serving Healthy, Local Food
  • October 17, 2007, Our Health, Our Environment:  Nurses Making the Connection at Work and at Home
  • April 10, 2007, Connecticut Hospitals - Leading By Example
  • October 12, 2006, Renew Your Energy
  • May 24, 2006, Protecting Connecticut's Children From Environmental Risks:  Problems and Solutions
  • April 4, 2006, Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About "Green" Construction And Demolition
  • September 8, 2005, Managing Pharmaceutical Waste
  • March 30, 2005, Creating A Clean, "Green" and Healthy Hospital with Environmentally Preferable and Bio-based Products
  • November 9, 2004, Understanding RCRA and State Environmental Regulations: A Workshop for Hospitals, co-sponsored with The Connecticut Hospital Association.
  • April 5, 2004, How Hospitals Can Cut Costs and Reap Additional Benefits through Responsible Waste Management
September 26, 2014, Sustainable Solutions for Health Care.  Sponsored by CHER.

This workshop was hosted by Yale-New Haven Hospital (YNHH) and featured sustainability and pharmaceutical management. Speakers/presentations included:

November 8, 2013, Heating Things Up at Gaylord Hospital.  Sponsored by:  CHER, CT Green Building Council Healthcare Committee.

This workshop was held at Gaylord Hospital and featured their renewable energy solar thermal system.  Speakers/presentations included:

May 31, 2013, It Pays to Watch Your Waste.  Sponsored by: CHER, CT Green Building Council (CTGBC) Healthcare Committee.

This workshop was held at CT Children's Medical Center (CCMC) and featured the following speakers:

June 29, 2012, Sustainable Heath Care HVAC Ventilation and Radiant/Induction Cooling: Challenges and Opportunities of Introducing Sustainable Practices into Health Care Design. Sponsored by CT Green Building Council (CTGBC) Healthcare Committee and MidState Medical Center.

This workshop, held at MidState Medical Center in Meriden contrasts standard design of HVAC systems for patient care areas with the growing need for high performance in health care construction, and featured the following speaker:

May 16, 2012, Landscaping for Health and the Environment: Creating Sustainable, Attractive Landscaped Areas and Garden Spaces to Control Stormwater Runoff. Sponsored by: CHER, CT Hospital Association (CHA), CT Green Building Council (CTGBC) Healthcare Committee.

This workshop was held at CHA headquarters in Wallingford and featured the following speakers:

Additional Resources

October 15, 2010, Rethinking Healthcare The Green Way: A Roadmap to Sustainability Sponsored by BGreen 2020 (A Sustainability Plan for Bridgeport), CT Energy Efficiency Fund, CHER, St. Vincent's Medical Center and United Illuminating Company (UI).

This meeting was held at St. Vincent's Medical Center in Bridgeport. Susan L. Davis, President and CEO of St. Vincent's, welcomed the group and shared some examples of the hospital's environmental achievements.  

This meeting featured the following speakers:

Other Contacts:

Marissa Westbrook , UI

Jeff Leichtman, BGreen 2020

Resources:

December 8, 2009 , Measuring Matters

This workshop was held at Bridgeport Hospital. The purpose of this event was to discuss the importance of tracking waste disposal and recycling data for measuring success, setting goals and managing costs. 

This meeting featured the following speakers:

Resources

Join WasteWise

Join Energy Star

Energy Star For Health Care

Energy Star Portfolio Manager is an interactive energy management tool that allows you to track and assess energy and water consumption across your entire portfolio of buildings.

March 17, 2009 , "Go Green" Forum (sponsored by CHA)  

This Forum was held to help hospitals get started with environmental initiatives, such as forming a green team, environmentally preferable cleaning products, green building, pharmaceutical disposal, serving local food, and energy efficiency.  

This meeting featured the following speakers:

  • Janet Brown , Director of Sustainable Operations, Practice Greenhealth, Keynote

  • Kim Trella, DEEP, Office of Pollution Prevention, Overview of Environmental Issues. DEP also prepared a fact sheet of resources available to hospitals.

  • Scotia Ryer, Wiggin and Dana, "Green Building - What Hospitals Need To Know"
  • Peter Lucey, Associate Executive Director, "Going Green At The North Bronx Healthcare Network"
  • Dan Fadgen, Stericycle, "RX Waste Management - Green Initiatives"
  • Panel Discussion about greening initiatives at New Milford Hospital, Bridgeport Hospital, CT Children's Medical Center, Hartford Hospital, St. Francis Hospital, John Dempsey Hospital.

If you have questions about this event, contact Liz Beaudin, CHA, Director of Nursing and Workforce Initiatives, 203-294-7227. The Connecticut Hospital Association Shared Services Program (CHA SSP) has information on green products and services.

June 13, 2008, Hospitals Step Up To The Plate: Serving Healthy, Local Food

This meeting featured the following speakers:

Experts from these organizations were on-hand to talk to attendees: 

  • Janet Bowen, EPA. Information on EPA's resources for healthcare, including Janet's monthly e-mail updates.
  • Practice Greenhealth (formerly Hospitals For a Healthy Environment). Information on resources, webinars and their awards program. Contact Janet Brown.
  • Robert Lockhart, editor and co-publisher of Edible Nutmeg, a quarterly magazine that promotes "the harvest of the Nutmeg state." 
  • Jennifer McTiernan, Executive Director of City Seed . City Seed's mission is to "engage the community in growing an equitable, local food system that promotes economic development, community development and sustainable agriculture."
  • Linda Piotrowicz, CT Dept. of Agriculture. Information on the Farms To Chef  program.
  • Rick Roberts, Institution Resource Network (IRN). IRN works with institutions, including healthcare, on recycling and waste minimization. They recycle or reuse materials such as computers, surplus furniture, cardboard, construction waste and much more.
  • Mike Tortora, Health & Safety Manager at Connecticut Children's Medical Center. Information on starting a "green team" at a hospital.

October 17, 2007 , Our Health, Our Environment:   Nurses Making the Connection at Work and at Home

This meeting featured the following speakers:

  • Environmental Health: Our Children, Ourselves, Our Community, Michelle Cole, MSN, RN, Maria Sanzo, MSN, RN, CPN, Kathy Visinski, MSN, RN, CT Children's, Medical Center.  Learn about the health effects of some toxic chemicals in common items we use at home and work every day, including household cleaning products, cosmetics and food, and how they affect the health of adults and children.  Information is also included on making better choices for health and the environment. 

  • Setting Up A Green Team: Lessons Learned From CCMC, Mike Tortora, Environmental Health and Safety, CT Children's Medical Center (CCMC).  Learn about CCMC's approach to environmental compliance and beyond using a team approach to creating a "greener" and safer workplace.

  • CT DEEP - Overview Of Environmental Issues, Connie Mendolia, Nan Peckham, CT DEEP. This presentation describes some DEP pollution prevention programs and actions individuals can take to create a healthier environment at home and work.

April 10, 2007, Connecticut Hospitals Leading By Example

This meeting featured the following speakers:

October 12, 2006 , Renew Your Energy

This meeting featured the following speakers:

May 24, 2006, Protecting Connecticut's Children From Environmental Risks:  Problems and Solutions

This workshop was co-sponsored by CHER, EPA, and The University of Massachusetts Lowell. The purpose of the workshop was to provide nurses and other health care professional who serve children to learn to identify, manage and prevent environmental health risks. Several state agencies and non-profits also provided additional resources for the participants. More information about the workshop can be found at the Children's Environmental Health Project.

Other Related Websites:

Clean Water Action

CT Dept. of Public Health

DEEP Diesel Reduction Initiatives

INFORM

National Library of Medicine

Physicians For Social Responsibility

April 4, 2006, Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About "Green" Construction And Demolition

This meeting featured the following speakers:

Other Related Websites:

Construction and Demolition Waste Management, DEEP

Connecticut Green Building Council

September 8, 2005, Managing Pharmaceutical Waste

This meeting featured Charlotte Smith, PharmEcology, Inc., Managing Pharmaceutical Waste.

Other Related Websites:

Practice Greenhealth, Resources on Pharmaceutical Management

March 30, 2005, Creating A Clean, "Green" and Healthy Hospital with Environmentally Preferable and Bio-based Products.

This meeting featured the following speakers and vendors:

Vendors: The following vendors participated in the workshop.  Their products are not endorsed by DEP or CHER. It is not a complete listing of vendors who supply environmentally preferable and bio-based products.

  • Don Eby, President, The Clean Environment Company, 8609 "I" Street, Omaha, NE 68127, Bio-based cleaning and personal care products, "Greening the Cleaning" products.  

  • John King, Sales Manager, Foley Distributing, PO Box 99, 280 Seward Road, Rutland, VT, 05702, 800-950-3738, 802-773,3738, extension 208.  Environmentally preferable chemical and food service products.

  • Paulette O'Hara, Stericycle.

Other Related Websites:

Green Seal
Practice Greenhealth (Formerly H2E)
Green Guide for Health Care

November 9, 2004, Understanding RCRA and State Environmental Regulations: A Workshop for Hospital, co-sponsored with The Connecticut Hospital Association

This meeting featured the following presentations:

April 5, 2004, How Hospitals Can Cut Costs and Reap Additional Benefits through Responsible Waste Management

The meeting was the official kick-off event for CHER and was held at Hartford Hospital. The event featured the following presentations:

Content last updated September 2019