Sustainability

Our commitment to providing a healthier and cleaner community.

As one of the largest health care organizations in our region, we have the responsibility and an opportunity to be good stewards of our environment. From the power sources we use, to the purchases we make, we are on a journey to implement practices across our organization that promote health by protecting the environment. Read our sustainability report that shows the progress we are making to strengthen green practices across our organization and how that is also helping to make care more simple and affordable.

• Our medicine take-back program has disposed of 41,200 pounds of medication the right way.
• More than 17,000 people used the medicine take-back program since the program began in 2011.
• HealthPartners offers six total collection sites at Amery Hospital & Clinic, Hudson Hospital & Clinic, Lakeview Hospital, Methodist Hospital, Regions Hospital, and Westfields Hospital & Clinic.

• We’re working to reduce paper use, and you can help. Sign up for Paperless Explanation of Benefits (EOB).
• Between 2019 and 2021, we’ve reduced paper usage by 22%, saving the organization over $140,000 in direct paper purchasing costs.

• Since 2014 our energy savings initiatives have saved over $2.1 million and made our facilities more efficient.
• Since 2014 we received over $2 million in energy efficiency rebates from our utility vendors to make energy improvements.
• We’ve got solar power. In the fall of 2014, Westfields Hospital & Clinic installed two solar panels, and our Plymouth clinic, opened in November 2014, has solar panels. Maple Grove clinic also has an array of solar panels that went live in June 2017.
• Lakeview Hospital, Methodist Hospital, Regions Hospital, Westfields Hospital & Clinic, HealthPartners Clinic Inver Grove Heights, HealthPartners Clinic Stillwater, HealthPartners Clinic Woodbury, and Park Nicollet Clinic Prior Lake all have signed Community Solar Garden subscription agreements. In 2021, these agreements generated over 16 million kWh of solar energy.
• In 2021, our telemedicine programs like Virtuwell have prevented the emissions of over 12,600,000 pounds of carbon dioxide. That’s the equivalent of taking 1,200 cars off the road for one year.

• More than 304,000 pounds of organics were diverted from trash to organics and food waste recycling programs in 2021 at our administrative building, Hudson Hospital & Clinic, Lakeview Hospital, Melrose Center, Methodist Hospital, Regions Hospital, and Park Nicollet St. Louis Park Main Clinic Campus.
• We kept over 3,600 tons of materials out of the landfill in 2021, saving the organization over $480,000.
• Our ORs removed nearly 295 tons of materials from the waste stream in 2021, for a savings of $1,800,000.
• In 2021, we donated over 75 tons of unused medical equipment, supplies and office furniture to our nonprofit partners and mission groups.

• We have 23 Green Teams and sustainability work groups across our organization that work hard on leading our sustainability initiatives
• Green teams are based at our administrative building in Bloomington, each of our eight hospitals, and at several of our clinics.
• We’re leaders in the sustainability community. HealthPartners was the first health system in Minnesota to join the Health Care Climate Council and we are one of two health systems in Minnesota to sign the White House Health Sector Climate Pledge .
• We’re also in leadership roles at many local, state and national groups including the MN Sustainable Growth Coalition, HEARRT, and Clean Air Minnesota. We are frequent speakers at local universities and colleges, trade groups and other progressive sustainability interest groups.

• HealthPartners won the 2022 System for Change Award for our comprehensive sustainability program for the eighth year in a row.
• HealthPartners has received high honors nationally from Practice Greenhealth , the leading health care sustainability community, winning 27 awards in 2022. These awards include Top 25 Environmental Excellence Awards for Amery Hospital & Clinic, Hudson Hospital & Clinic, Lakeview Hospital, Methodist Hospital, and Regions Hospital, plus 14 Circles of Excellence Awards for outstanding performance in eight different areas.
• Amery Hospital & Clinic, Hudson Hospital & Clinic, and Westfields Hospital & Clinic have all received the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council Green Masters awards.
• In 2017 Amery Hospital & Clinic became the only hospital in the world to win the Audubon International Sanctuary designation. In 2018, Westfields Hospital & Clinic joined the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program.
• In 2016 Amery Hospital & Clinic was certified as a Monarch Waystation through Monarch Watch. Hudson Hospital & Clinic became a Monarch Waystation in 2021.
• Since 2019, both Amery Hospital & Clinic and Westfields Hospital & Clinic have been recognized as Tree Campuses through the Arbor Day Foundation.