For the fourth consecutive year, Mercy Health — Lorain Hospital and Mercy Health — Allen Hospital have earned the Partner for Change Award from Practice Greenhealth, an organization dedicated to sustainability in health care.
The Partner for Change Award recognizes hospitals for superior performance in environmental stewardship and leadership in sustainability practices that improve health outcomes for patients, staff and communities.
“Our commitment to sustainability is about more than operations—it’s about the kind of future we want to help create,” said Jim Armour, vice president of Mission, Mercy Health — Lorain and Youngstown, in a news release. “The continued dedication of our teams across Lorain and Allen hospitals reflects a shared belief that how we care for the environment directly impacts how we care for one another.”
At Mercy Health, sustainability is approached through a broad lens that looks at how daily operations affect the environment and the health of those it cares for, according to the release.
This includes reducing waste, eliminating harmful chemicals, conserving energy and water, sourcing food responsibly, and improving supply purchasing practices.
Recent projects that contributed to this national recognition include:
• The transition from disposable isolation gowns to reusable alternatives, reducing medical waste.
• The reprocessing of 559 pounds of medical and surgical devices to limit single-use waste.
• Gardens of Hope at both hospitals, offering staff a tangible, restorative way to engage with sustainability. The Lorain campus includes 24 elevated garden plots, and the Allen campus supports three large ground plots.
• Attending the Sustainability Summit to connect with other experts in the greater-Cleveland area.
• The acquisition of a cardboard compactor to increase its recycling efforts.
Additionally, the Bon Secours Mercy Health system previously eliminated the use of desflurane, an anesthetic gas that has a 2,540 times more potent atmospheric warming potential than carbon dioxide, according to the release.
“In a shifting health care landscape, a focus on sustainability can help build resilience while better protecting the health of patients and the community,” said Gary Cohen, founder of Practice Greenhealth, in the release. “Both Mercy Health — Lorain Hospital and Mercy Health — Allen Hospital demonstrate the kind of leadership, innovation and performance that can drive the entire health sector toward more environmentally responsible practices.”
The award is part of Practice Greenhealth’s Environmental Excellence Awards, given annually to honor health care achievements in sustainability.
Originally Published: August 25, 2025 at 3:30 PM EDT