I
t's no
secret that
hospitals
produce a
lot of waste
— with the worst
offender being
the surgery
department. For
the Lakewood
Health System
Hospital in
Staples, Minn.,
going green means more than just tossing a few extra bottles in recy-
cling; it's engrained into everyday life.
"The community plays a big role in our being green, since we're
out in the middle of nowhere in a farming community," says Audrey
Witucki, LPN, CST, an active member of the hospital's "Go Green"
committee. "We don't want to waste the hot water, we want to mini-
mize the garbage and help preserve the farmland out here. After all,
the farmers are our patients."
This year's OR Excellence Award Winner for Environmental
Stewardship takes the commitment to the planet seriously, by reduc-
ing, reusing and recycling wherever it can.
"All of the waste will never be eliminated," says Ms. Witucki. "But, a
healthcare facility that 'thinks green' can greatly decrease the amount
9 8
O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5
O R E X C E L L E N C E AWA R D S O R E X C E L L E N C E AWA R D S
Environmental Stewardship
Lakewood Health System in Staples, Minn.,
goes green for its community.
Audrey
Witucki,
LPN,
CST
z BOILER LICENSE Hannah Winter, CST, is a certified
boiler operator like all other surgical techs at Lakewood.
