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Issues: Green Building
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Healing Garden Grows in Bhopal
The story of the Sambhavna Clinic, a non-profit holistic health clinic in Bhopal, India, built to treat those injured by the Union Carbide toxic gas release in 1984.  enlarge video
Gary Cohen, Uncommon Hero
HCWH's co-founder Gary Cohen is a recipient of the prestigious Skoll Award. This video, chronicling the evolution of HCWH's work, premiered at the 2009 Skoll World Forum.  enlarge video
Health Care Without Harm is an international coalition of more than 470 organizations in 52 countries working to transform the health care sector so it is no longer a source of harm to people and the environment.  enlarge video

The Issue

The construction and use of buildings consumes billions of tons of raw materials, generates significant waste, consumes a tremendous amount of energy and contributes toxic emissions to the air. Given this impact, there are significant opportunities to improve environmental quality and human health through the green planning, design and construction of health care facilities.

Health Care Without Harm is at the forefront of efforts to transform the way hospitals are designed, built and operated, through its involvement with the Green Guide for Health Care, a multi-year project of Health Care Without Harm and Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems. This free tool is the the first quantifiable sustainable design, construction and operations toolkit customized for the healthcare sector, and is being used by leading health care institutions around the world to build facilities that are healthier for people and the environment.

Latest News

 
Brigham and Women's Hospital's Shapiro Cardiovascular Center has implemented numerous green initiatives: 75% of the building interior is exposed to natural light, the air filtration is very efficient, neutral cleaners are used on the floors, latex gloves have been eliminated, medical waste minimized, and even the construction debris was recycled. "There's a myth that building a greener facility is substantially more expensive, but sometimes you can do the right thing at less cost."
— Rick Bass, Director, Environmental Services
Brigham and Women's Hospital
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