This means that we are dedicated to increasing the efficiency with which the hospital uses and harvests energy, water, and materials while at the same time reducing our building's impact on human health and the environment through better siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal - the complete building life cycle. St. Vincent's will be guided in its hospital project by the LEED Green Building Rating System developed by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The U.S. Green Building Council and LEED
The U.S. Green Building Council (http://www.usgbc.org/) aims to transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life. The council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design "LEED" Green Building Rating System is the nationally accepted voluntary, consensus-based rating system for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health...

• Sustainable site development
• Water savings
• Energy efficiency
• Materials selection
• Indoor environmental quality

With the goal of protecting the health of our patients and employees, the surrounding community, and the health of the global community and natural resources, St. Vincent's intends to incorporate many of the following green elements in its new hospital...

• Energy & Atmosphere
• On-site renewable energy sources, such as co-generation of steam and energy to reduce dependence on the power grid
• Green power sources of off-site energy
• Selecting the most energy-efficient equipment
• Building commissioning to ensure that systems will perform as designed 
  
•   Materials &  Resources
• Construction-waste management procedures that redirect re-usable or recyclable materials back into the manufacturing process
• Building materials that have been salvaged and reconditioned for re-use
• Furniture, fixtures and equipment made from recycled materials
  
• Environmental Quality
• Indoor and outdoor air quality measures
• Use of materials - adhesives and wall, ceiling, and floor coverings, etc. - that emit few or no VOCs (volatile organic compounds, which evaporate readily to the atmosphere and contribute to smog and health problems).
• Automated control of building systems such as temperature and lighting
• Access to daylight for staff, visitors, and patients
• Acoustic controls to minimize exterior and interior noise, isolate sound, and limit building vibration
  
•  Energy Efficiency
• Participate in the Environmental Protection Agency Energy Star program
• Purchase energy derived from renewable energy sources, on site or off site, to minimize reliance on fossil fuels
  
• Water Conservation
• Encourage water use reduction through installation of low-flow fixtures and sensor operators
• Operate water-recycling systems to allow use of non-potable waste water and condensate for cooling of medical equipment and building operating systems such as vacuum pumps, air compressors, and HVAC systems
• Design and control stormwater systems to reduce or eliminate pollution from runoff
  
•  Chemical Management
• Prevent contamination through airborne releases, leaks or spills (fuel, liquid oxygen, pharmaceutical waste, etc.)
• Reduce regulated-waste output (medical waste, physical plant chemicals)
• Minimize use of hazardous chemical sterilants when safer alternatives that maintain infection control standards are available
• Minimize use of natural rubber latex, commonly found in surgical gloves, I.V. tubing, syringes, furniture cushions, carpet backing, etc.
• Eliminate use of Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), a softening compound typically added to plastic to increase its flexibility, but determined by the FDA to be potentially hazardous to persons with suppressed immune systems
  
•  Environmental Services
• Employ pest-management systems that reduce human exposure to chemical hazards and odors
• Implement an environmentally preferable cleaning policy, including sustainable cleaning products and materials.