This is embarrassing to admit, but I never really knew anything about Earth Day until recently.  Being a proud Community Medical Center Green Champion, I felt it was about time I learned a little something about this annual celebration.  To Google I went and this is what I found: “The first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, mobilized 20 million Americans from all walks of life. Their actions led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. Today, over one billion people in 192 countries participate in Earth Day activities, making it the largest civic observance in the world.” See more at: http://www.earthday.org/earth-day/earth-day-toolkit/#1
 
Pretty awesome, right?  So, what are we doing at Community Medical Centers to celebrate the 46th anniversary of Earth Day?



The Sustainability Value Analysis Team is sponsoring Earth Day S.W.A.P. (Sustainability With A Purpose) on April 22, 12 PM – 5 PM.  The California Cancer Center, Community Behavioral Health Center, Clovis Community Medical Center, Community Regional Medical Center, and Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital are all participating in this event. Employees are invited to bring gently used items to swap for something "new" to them.
 
Employees are welcome to swap:

• Mugs
  • Work-appropriate, can include children’s mugs
  • No chips or cracks
• Books
  • In good condition
  • No missing pages, rips, or tears
• Plants
  • Healthy indoor or outdoor plants in a container (1 gallon size or smaller)
  • If possible, please have plant identification
  • No artificial plants
• Toys
  • Clean, gently used
  • No battery-operated toys, stuffed animals, or toys with missing pieces 

Check here for more information about Earth Day S.W.A.P. at our facilities
 
Did you know that Community Medical Centers is participating in Healthier Hospitals, which is helping hospitals shift to more sustainable products and practices?  Learn more about it and take a quiz for a chance to win a prize! Healthier Hospitals quiz
 
Are you interested in learning more about sustainability efforts at Community? Become a Green Champion! Contact Rhonda Hightower at RHightower@communitymedical.org to be added to the Green Champions email list.
 
Want to take one small step to being more green?  Add the following to your Outlook signature: Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.
 
Happy Earth Day 2016!
 
Kathryn Tinsley
Member of the Corporate Sustainability Value Analysis Team
Quality Management Analyst
Community Regional Medical Center