Healthy hospitals: a journey to ISO 14001 certification.

ith many health researchers now focusing on determinants of health we have seen a wide range of initiatives that go beyond “traditional” healthcare – things such as breakfast programs for children, literacy programs, and after-school activities. Inspired by our hospital’s vision of being “an excellent community hospital that contributes to making our community as healthy as possible,” we were ready to take on a non-traditional area of healthcare – the environment. The first steps in achieving our vision started directly inside the organization; we knew we had to get our own house in order. Thus, through the development of a comprehensive Environmental Management System (EMS), Cambridge Memorial Hospital (CMH) did just that and, as a byproduct, became the first hospital in North America to be certified as ISO 14001 compliant. Approximately 100 km west of Toronto, CMH is the only hospital in Cambridge and has a reputation for delivering high-quality, patientfocused care to the residents of Cambridge and North Dumfries. The 277-bed hospital serves a community of approximately 120,000 people, with services including acute, ambulatory and long-term care. The hospital underwent a significant re-engineering process in 1995/96, resulting in an exceptionally flat organizational structure based on a program management model. Over recent years the Board of Directors led an important shift for the hospital in its vision, moving from a model of “curing the sick” to one focused on improving the health of the community. This vision embraced improving health and wellness of the local environment.