Best Practice Exchange Events 2002
Environmental Considerations in Health Care 2002
Date, Time, Location
Devember 19th, 2002
Presenters & Program Topics
The HGCI partnered the Center for Health and the Global Environment to host "Environmental Considerations in Healthcare: Best Practices." The event brought together over 60 faculty, students and staff from all three of the Longwood schools, as well constituents from other regional Universities, non-profits, and private sector interests. The first presenter was Dr. Paul Epstein, Associate Director of the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School, who presented the impacts of climate change on human health. An author of the International Panel on Climate Change 2nd Assessment Report and the WHO/WMO/UNEP report Climate Change and Human Health, Dr. Epstein impressed upon the audience the urgency and the severity of the potential human health impacts.
The featured speaker was Gail Vittori, Co-Director of the Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems in Austin, Texas. Healthcare facilities in the US represent more than $10 billion in annual construction expenditures. Gail stated that "the healthcare sector is strategically positioned to be an important catalyst for mainstreaming sustainable design and construction practices, with measurable benefits accrued from the associated human health and productivity enhancements."
This forum was jointly sponsored by the Center for Health & Global
Environment and the Harvard Green Campus Initiative.