News l St. Elizabeth Hospital Wins Environmental Certification

Enumclaw's new St. Elizabeth Hospital has been awarded LEED Silver Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council because of the hospital's environmentally sensistive design and construction.St. Elizabeth is the first new hospital in the state to win LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. St. Elizabeth opened in February replacing the old Encumclaw Regional Medical Center. St. Elizabeth is part of the Tacoma-based Franciscan Health System that owns St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way and St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor.


Among the features that helped the hospital win certification were:
* Large energy-efficient windows that reduce the need for artificial lighting.
* An ambitious recycling program for both everyday hospital materials and for construction debris.
* Landscaping with water-sparing native vegetation.
* Low-flow plumbing fixtures.
* An energy-efficient heating, cooling and mechanical system that works without using ozone-depleting coolants.
* Non-toxic finishes throughout the building.
* Sustainable building materials.