Administrators and facility managers of most healthcare facilities agree: Going green is the right thing to do. Some facilities see it as a natural extension of their mission. The Boulder Community Hospital system, located in Boulder, Colo., saw it as an opportunity to create the first LEED certified hospital in the United States. Boulder Community’s commitment to the environment began over a decade ago as a grassroots effort among its employees to reduce, reuse and recycle. Its voluntary activities and informal programs became part of the hospital culture and blossomed into a wide-ranging environmental program.

To make its vision of the first LEED certified healthcare facility a reality, Boulder Community sought the assistance of Boulder Associates, a Colorado architecture and design firm recognized for its sustainable design performance within the healthcare industry. According to Boulder Associates, healthcare facilities are among the nation’s largest users of building materials and energy. By optimizing the design, construction and operation of a new satellite facility — Boulder Community Foothills Hospital — Boulder Associates was able to reduce its environmental impact.

Additionally, Boulder Associates asserts that the primary goal of sustainable design is to extend the useful service life of every product and system employed—durable products and systems reduce cleaning, maintenance and replacement activities, which can interrupt day-to-day operations.

When given the opportunity to select products for its administrative and clinical areas, Foothills Hospital selected modular product solutions from Herman Miller, Inc. Its Action Office system, Meridian filing, Co/Struc system, and procedure/supply carts were an attractive option for Foothills because of the durability and adaptability of the products.

Foothills Hospital selected modular product solutions from Herman Miller, Inc.

Herman Miller’s environmental record also was an important element for Boulder Community Hospital. The company shares Boulder Community’s belief that respecting the environment is more than good business practice—it is the right thing to do.

As an advocate for the environment, Herman Miller continues to design products and programs that resound with customers such as Boulder Community. Its modular products were designed to be highly mobile and compact so that hospitals may reconfigure a space to keep up with changes in technology, staffing and operations. Roger Call of Herman Miller for Healthcare said: “When a space needs to be changed around, modular products offer much greater value because they can be reused, as opposed to built-ins, which have to be torn out and thrown away.”

Co/Struc, for example, is the original modular storage and transport system. With its variety of multifunctional components, Co/Struc can be easily assembled, moved and reconfigured to serve different work settings and a broad range of functions.

“Since 2003, Foothills Hospital has reconfigured its laboratory space at least three times,” said Mike Doody, account development manager for Herman Miller’s Workplace Resource in Colorado. “This speaks volumes about the versatility of the products and Foothills’ dedication to lessen its impact on the environment.”

By employing sustainable design strategies, Boulder Associates believes an organization tangibly expresses its commitment to the community’s economy, health and structured growth. As a result, Boulder Community Foothills Hospital’s accomplishment as the first LEED Certified healthcare facility demonstrates that shared environmental values and goals among a customer, designer and supplier will shape the future of healing environments.