From the press release from Mission Health:
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (April 26, 2012) – The U.S. Green Building Council has awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification to Mission Hospital’s SECU Cancer Center. The Cancer Center is officially designated as LEED for New Construction Gold Certified.
Mission Cancer Center is one of only three Gold LEED certified cancer centers in the nation. According to LEED’s projects and case studies database, Mission Cancer Center is the largest LEED certified healthcare facility in North Carolina.
The LEED Green Building Rating System is a nationally accepted benchmark for the design construction of high-performance green buildings. It verifies that a facility is designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all metrics.
“We are pleased with this recognition, especially being one of just three cancer centers in the country to achieve this level of high quality building standards,” said Karen Grogan, R.N., Administrative Executive Director of Cancer Services. “Not only do we provide high quality treatment for our patients, we are being mindful of our environment in western North Carolina. Having a clean, healthy environment for our patients, who often have compromised immune systems, was a very important factor in our desire to create a LEED certified building.”
Mission’s Cancer Center is a 120,000 square-foot facility dedicated to cancer treatment. The Cancer Center site is designed to support ongoing sustainable efforts. More than 66 percent of the site area features native plants, and the site’s civil design reduces the quantity of and improves the quality of storm water run-off. The building’s white-roof coating helps reflect solar heat, and nearly half of the roof surface area is dedicated to a roof garden.
The facility’s high-efficiency plumbing fixtures optimize water savings. The fixtures are expected to save more than 120,000 gallons of water a year when compared to code compliant fixtures. This savings is the equivalent of more than 750,000 20 oz. bottles of water saved every year.
Energy efficiency is also a key feature at Mission Cancer Center. An energy model based on the building design was used to estimate an annual energy cost savings of 25 percent. Recycling areas are offered throughout the facility and patients, staff, and visitors are encouraged to use readily accessible containers for recyclable plastics, paper, cardboard and metals. More than 90 percent of waste produced during construction was recycled, diverting 6,000 tons of waste away from local landfills.
About Mission Health
Mission Health, based in Asheville, NC, is the state’s sixth largest health system and the tertiary care regional referral center for Western NC and the adjoining region. In 2012, Mission Health was named by Thomson Reuters as one of the top 15 health systems in the nation – the only health system in North Carolina to receive this recognition.
Founded in 1885, Mission Health is the region’s only not-for-profit, independent community hospital system governed and managed exclusively in Western North Carolina. Mission operates five hospitals, numerous out-patient and surgery centers, and the region’s only dedicated Level II trauma center. Its medical staff consists of more than 750 physicians, and is certified in over 50 medical specialties and sub-specialties. Centers of excellence include heart, stroke care and neurosciences, and pediatrics. Mission Hospital, the system’s flagship hospital, is licensed for 730 beds and is the busiest surgical hospital in North Carolina. Other Mission hospitals include Blue Ridge Regional Hospital in Spruce Pine, McDowell Hospital in Marion, and Mission Children’s Hospital in Asheville. With approximately 8,800 employees and 700 volunteers, Mission Health is dedicated solely to serving and improving the health and wellness of the people of Western North Carolina.
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