Preservation of the Earth

Since 2001, SSM Health Care facilities have recycled more than 37 million pounds of materials. (In 2010 alone, as a system, we recycled 4.4 million pounds of materials including paper, cardboard, aluminum/steel cans, glass and plastic - saving more than 37,640 trees, 841,364 gallons of oil and 15.5 millions gallons of water.) Those totals reflect SSM's heritage of non-violence, including its commitment to preserving our earth and its resources. In 1990, current SSM Chair Sister Mary Jean Ryan, FSM, required every SSM facility to establish a Preservation of the Earth Committee (POE). She was inspired to act by her religious congregation's commitment to non-violence and a photo she had seen of a polluted harbor. She not only established the POE committees but also banned the use of Styrofoam cups throughout the system -- SSM's first bold step in taking better care of the earth.

“We have learned that we cannot apply the most advanced medical technology to cure people’s illnesses and then send them home to heal in an unhealthy environment,” Sister Mary Jean says.

POE committees raise awareness about what we can do personally and what our organization can do to tread lightly on our earth. POEs provide earth-friendly education and encouragement to employees to follow the three Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. SSM facilities recycle paper, cardboard, aluminum/steel cans, glass and plastic.

But our efforts extend beyond that. For instance, SSM St. Clare Health Center, Fenton, Mo., has a green roof and native grasses. At SSM’s St. Louis area hospitals, non-recyclable waste goes to a local landfill, where it is converted to methane gas to heat a high school and a greenhouse. Walls are painted with organic paint; hospitals are designed to be energy efficient and provide beautiful views of gardens and waterfalls. At the corporate office in the St. Louis suburb of Creve Coeur, Mo., landscaping is done primarily with native plants. SSM eliminated bottled waters at its facilities in June 2008. Annually, SSM saves more than half a million bottles of water.

In June 2000, SSM Health Care received an Environmental Excellence Award from Choose Environmental Excellence - Gateway Region, an organization that encourages simple steps toward environmental excellence among individuals, organizations, and government. SSM was honored in the "Organizations that are Environmental Champions" category.

"The thing I found striking about SSM Health Care is that championship of environmental endeavors by the CEO made it possible for people at the various sites to take up the mandate and do what is appropriate for each facility," said Jean Ponzi, a member of the board of directors for Choose Environmental Excellence and Recycling Programs Manager for the St. Louis-based MidAmerica Energy & Resource Partners. "It's a smart way for a large organization to operate because it allows champions to develop at the local level."

Updated 3/2011