Tuscaloosa’s DCH Health System has earned Stryker’s Environmental Excellence Platinum Award, becoming the only health system in Alabama to receive the recognition at its highest level.

Sustainability Efforts

The award, presented through Stryker’s Sustainability Solutions program, honors healthcare organizations that demonstrate exceptional environmental impact through waste reduction, natural resource conservation, and more sustainable healthcare practices.

Over the past year, DCH diverted more than 56,000 medical device units from landfills through its reprocessing program, mitigating approximately 561 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions in the process.

Medical device reprocessing works by professionally cleaning, testing and remanufacturing eligible single-use devices to meet quality and regulatory standards before returning them to clinical use — reducing landfill waste and lowering greenhouse gas emissions without affecting patient care or safety.

At DCH Health System, we’re committed to improving the health of our communities in every way we can, including being responsible stewards of our environment, said Rachel Anderson, DCH’s VP of Supply Chain.

In recognition of those efforts, Stryker planted 18 trees in DCH’s honor.

Tuscaloosa’s DCH Health System is a public, not-for-profit system that has served West Alabama for more than 100 years, operating DCH Regional Medical Center, Northport Medical Center, and Fayette Medical Center.

Original reporting: The Tuscaloosa Thread — read the source article.