The system has also explored low-cost initiatives, such as designating shuttle locations at 18 hospitals as idle.
“This is the entrance to a hospital or an emergency room and you have these vehicles… making air pollution as bad as possible,” says Garrick. “That doesn’t have to be the case. All you have to do is turn off the engine.”
Conservation projects have helped Intermountain reduce spending. Converting fluorescent lighting to LED has saved the organization 18,700 megawatts and over $1 million annually.
Last April, the system replaced 19 acres of grass on five properties with gravel, soil and vegetation, saving 17.5 million gallons of water and $200,000 per year. It also planted five gardens to house the endangered monarch butterflies that migrate through the area.
In its hospitals and clinics, Intermountain is pursuing ways to reduce food waste, which often ends up in landfills that produce methane.
This year, system leaders are working with patients and clinicians to revamp their organization’s menus with healthy, edible meals. They send any remaining food waste to a local biodegradation tank, which converts it into natural gas and fertilizer.
