Enumclaw’s new St. Elizabeth Hospital has been awarded LEED Silver Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council because of the hospital’s environmentally sensitive design and construction.
St. Elizabeth is the first new hospital in the state to win LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. St. Elizabeth opened in February replacing the old Encumclaw Regional Medical Center. St. Elizabeth is part of the Tacoma-based Franciscan Health System that owns St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way and St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor.
Among the features that helped the hospital win certification were:
• Large, energy-efficient windows that reduce the need for artificial lighting.
• An ambitious recycling program for both everyday hospital materials and for construction debris.
• Landscaping with water-sparing native vegetation.
• Low-flow plumbing fixtures.
• An energy-efficient heating, cooling and mechanical system that works without using ozone-depleting coolants.
• Nontoxic finishes throughout the building.
• Sustainable building materials.
John Gillie, staff writer
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.