The new hospital expansion aligns to patient health through sustainable building practices
FALLS CHURCH, VA Jan. 24, 2017 — Inova Healthcare Systems today announced that it has achieved LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certification for its Inova Women’s Hospital and Inova Children’s Hospital (IWHICH), located in Falls Church, Virginia.
Inova is a not-for-profit healthcare system serving more than two million people each year throughout the Washington, DC metro area. Part of a 665,000-square-foot campus expansion, IWHICH is the largest phase of Inova’s capital improvement program. The team elected to pursue LEED as part of a commitment to sustainability and its alignment with patient health.
When planning the facility, sustainable features including optimal air quality and natural light were selected to contribute to the health and wellness of patients, visitors and staff. Building materials with low or no toxicity were also utilized due to the sensitive patient population served at this facility.
“The health and wellness of our patients is everything,” said Seema Wadhwa, assistant vice president, sustainability and wellness of Inova. “When we expanded, we made sure every decision during construction would be a reflection of health and would create a world class environment for patient care. We chose low-emitting materials such as paints and adhesives, so we can all breathe easy and feel healthier in the space.”
Paladino and Company, an industry-leading green building and sustainability consulting firm, partnered with architect Wilmot Sanz to manage the LEED certification for the project. In addition to optimal air quality and daylighting, the Paladino and Wilmot Sanz teams focused on specific energy and water conservation measures. These measures include a highly-efficient energy systems including a central plant hot water and steam system, efficient HVAC, LED lighting, insulation and a white roof. Automated windows were also installed to reduce the need for air conditioning and to provide fresh air to the occupants. The facility addresses water consumption with low-flow plumbing, water cisterns, a rain garden, and native plants featured in the landscaping.
“Sustainability and the healthcare industry go hand-in-hand,” said Tom Paladino, CEO of Paladino and Company. “Inova is doing amazing work at the forefront of healthcare and sustainability because they know the power that green building has to improve patient outcomes. High performing facilities are proven to be healthier, and we are proud to have been a part of this exciting effort.”
This is the latest effort demonstrating Inova’s commitment to sustainability. Recent accomplishments include diverting over 5.1 million pounds of waste from landfills in 2014 and 2015, and reducing its system-wide energy use by nearly 12 percent since 2012. Committing to healthy, sustainability buildings is a natural progression for Inova’s environmental leadership.
About Inova
Inova is a not-for-profit healthcare system based in Northern Virginia that serves more than two million people each year from throughout the Washington, DC, metro area and beyond. Governed by a volunteer board of community members, Inova has grown from one hospital in 1956 to a nationally recognized, comprehensive network of hospitals, outpatient services and facilities, primary and specialty care physician practices, and health and wellness initiatives.
Inova’s five hospitals include more than 1,700 licensed beds and 16,000 employees. Inova encompasses the full array of health services, including the area’s only Level 1 Trauma Center and Level IV neonatal intensive care unit. Inova is also home to nationally and internationally recognized Inova Heart and Vascular Institute (IHVI), Inova Schar Cancer Institute, Inova Translational Medicine Institute (ITMI) focused on genomics research, Inova Neuroscience Institute and Inova Children’s Hospital.
About Paladino and Company
Established in 1994, Paladino and Company is an industry leading green building and sustainability consulting firm with offices in New York, Seattle, Austin, and Washington DC. Its team of business analysts, organizational development experts, architects, engineers, and building scientists advise clients on how to lift use sustainability initiatives to create transformational change in their organizations and deliver measurable business value. With more than 2000 green projects internationally, including more than 720 LEED certified buildings, Paladino serves industries including commercial real estate, higher education, hospitality, industrial, multifamily, and mixed-use. Find Paladino and Company online at www.paladinoandco.com or www.twitter.com/Paladinoandco.