Geisinger facilities recognized by ASHE for energy reduction efforts

DANVILLE – Five Geisinger facilities have received an Energy to Care Award from the American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) of the American Hospital Association.

Geisinger Healthplex State College, Geisinger Healthplex Woodbine, Geisinger Medical Center, Geisinger Multi-Specialty Clinic Danville and Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center are recognized by ASHE for tracking their energy, water and emissions reduction efforts and going above and beyond in achieving their sustainability goals.

The facilities are among 102 participating facilities to receive this distinction in 2024, representing just 2.3% of facilities enrolled in the Energy to Care Program. Participants record and report their energy and water consumption, as well as greenhouse gas emissions, in the Energy to Care Dashboard. Energy to Care Award-winning facilities demonstrate a 10% greater reduction in energy use intensity over the previous year, or 15% over two years.

“This award is a significant achievement for health care facilities taking meaningful steps toward decarbonization, and I congratulate the Geisinger team for reaching this milestone across several sites in their sustainability journey,” says Kara Brooks, senior associate director of sustainability at the American Hospital Association.

Several key sustainability initiatives helped Geisinger facilities earn this award, including:

• Retro-commissioning building systems by monitoring data and usage trends and upgrading equipment components, adjusting control sequences and adjusting system parameters to save energy.
• Implementing a building automation system fault detection and diagnosis software platform that collects and analyzes complex data and identifies hidden faults and energy usage optimization opportunities.
• Constructing co-generation central utility plants that increase resilience and efficiency of major medical centers by generating electricity and thermal energy from a single fuel source.

“When we conserve energy, we’re able to operate more efficiently, but we also impact the health of the communities we serve,” said Bradd Mertz, senior director of facilities operations at Geisinger. “By reducing our emissions and relying less on power plants, we contribute to a healthier region by reducing air pollutants.”

Participation in the Energy to Care Program has grown consistently since its inception in 2006. More than 4,400 facilities have participated since 2010, and in the entire life of the program, health care facilities have seen a combined savings of over $550 million reallocated to patient care.

“These awards are a testament to the effort and dedication our facilities operations team has to lowering our carbon footprint,” said John Hajduk, Geisinger’s associate vice president of facilities operations. “Through this important work, we not only care for our friends and neighbors but also for the environment we all share.”