Cedar Crest earns LEED Accreditation for New Buildings

Certification brings 'green' credentials to hospital's expansion project

Lehigh Valley, Pa. (July 21, 2008) - When planning began several years ago for the expansion of the Lehigh Valley Hospital - Cedar Crest & I-78 campus, rising energy costs and environmental concerns led to the decision to go 'green'. Now, with construction complete, both the Kasych Family Pavilion and the Center for Advanced Health Care have earned the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, the national benchmark for green buildings.

The process of making the new green buildings started with the laying of the foundation. To reduce the new buildings carbon footprint, recycled materials were used whenever possible, and most materials were purchased from companies that manufactured and shipped them from within 500 miles of the LVH - Cedar Crest campus. This helped to reduce the amount of time trucks spent on the road delivering supplies and thus used less gasoline.

But that was just the first step. Additional steps that led to LEED certification included:

• Natural Lighting - All patient rooms, waiting rooms and other occupied areas have large windows to take advantage of natural light. Coupled with high efficiency heating and air conditioning equipment, motion control lighting switches that dim or turn off when the room is unoccupied and efficient insulation in the walls and roofing, the hospital has significantly reduced the amount of power it needs to operate. Studies have also shown that the use of natural lighting versus more traditional fluorescent lighting aids in the healing process.
• Recycling materials - Certain furniture, like chairs and sofa’s in the new buildings are recyclable as are the wall coverings.
• Reducing indoor pollutants - The Kasych building's indoor pollutants have been substantially reduced by use of low volatile organic compound paints, adhesives, carpets, composite wood products and finishing. Even the entry ways were designed to capture dirt and particulates and chemical pollutants that people otherwise might bring into the building with them.
• Energy Star rated appliances - The computer monitors and TV screens are Energy Star appliances as well, meaning they use less electricity to operate. The heating and air conditioning systems are also energy efficient.
• Smart water management - Low-flow showerheads, dual flush toilets (one for liquid and one for solid) have reduced the use of water significantly.
• Reflective roofing - A heat island effect is caused when warmer temperatures disturb the local climate due to solar energy that is retained on construction surfaces like streets, sidewalks, parking lots and buildings. To minimize this effect, the roofs of both buildings use a highly reflective material so that the heat is not absorbed by the building. This also helps to reduce the cooling costs.
• Recycling materials - Construction projects typically create massive amounts of waste that would normally end up in landfills. The hospital expansion project eliminated 97 percent of construction waste by recycling where possible.

  A premier academic community hospital, Lehigh Valley Health Network includes three hospital facilities - two in Allentown and one in Bethlehem, Pa. - and Lehigh Valley Health Services, providing home health, hospice, pharmaceutical and health management services. In 2008, US News & World Report named Lehigh Valley Hospital one of America's Best Hospitals for the thirteenth straight year. LVHN's advanced regional resources include a Level I Trauma Center with added pediatric qualifications; a regional referral Burn Center for critical care burn patients; national certification as a Primary Stroke Center; the largest cancer program in the region and fourth largest in Pennsylvania; the Regional Heart Center - the second largest heart program in Pennsylvania based on volume; and an Advanced ICU with tele-intensivists to provide an extra level of care for critical care patients.

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