The USGBC has introduced its latest green building rating system, LEED for Healthcare. Debuting at the CleanMed conference, the rating system is intended to guide the design and construction of new buildings and major renovations.
LEED for Healthcare is applicable to the gamut of medical facilities, including assisted living facilities, medical education and research centers, inpatient, outpatient, and long term care facilities.
LEED for healthcare is designed to meet the needs of a 24-hour operational facility featuring unique requirements such as:
- Process water use related to medical equipment
- Rural facility locations
- Patient populations (often with compromised immune systems)
- Sensitive to chemicals and pollutants
- Patient and staff health
“Research has shown that when we are treated and heal in a green healthcare facility – one that has a healthy indoor environmental quality and connects us to the outdoors – we heal faster, have shorter hospital stays and fewer return visits,” says Scot Horst, Senior Vice President of LEED, USGBC. “LEED for Healthcare is now six years in the making, addressing the healthcare industry’s unique green building needs.”
More than 223 healthcare projects have received LEED certification, with 1,176 registered and on deck.
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