Affinity Medical Group clinic cited

Greenville facility earns national 'green' certification

02 / 19 / 2007

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For more information contact:
Maria Heim, Media Relations
Affinity Health System
(920) 720-1752
(920) 554-0686 (pager)

MENASHA, Wis. – The Greenville Affinity Medical Group clinic has achieved “certified” status through the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System.

It is the first health care facility in Wisconsin and only one of a few throughout the nation to earn this distinction.

The LEED Green Building Rating System is a voluntary standards and certification program created by the U.S. Green Building Council that recognizes environmentally friendly construction projects.

The Affinity clinic, opened in July 2005, incorporates environmentally friendly, sustainable concepts. LEED design follows six criteria:

  • Sustained site development—a retention pond is located on the Greenville clinic property so that no water will leave the site; rainwater run-off flows into the pond and then filters back into the ground.
  • Water efficiency and savings.
  • Energy efficiency and savings.
  • Conservation of materials and selection—all building materials were purchased within a 500 mile radius of Greenville; and a majority of construction waste was recycled.
  • Indoor environmental quality—low-emitting building materials are being used.
  • Innovation in design.

“What we’ve tried to do is reduce or eliminate the impact of this building on the environment,” said Gary Kusnierz, director of Construction and Development for Affinity Health System. “There is a direct correlation to sustainable design and Affinity’s mission.

“These design concepts are not new,” Kusnierz said. “It’s just that we are making the effort to bring all these design concepts together.”

The clinic was built by Oscar J. Boldt Construction. “Our firm is dedicated to minimizing construction’s impact on the environment,” said Tom Boldt, chief executive officer. “Building according to environmentally sustainable guidelines is the right thing to do for our clients and the health of our environment.”

Boldt Construction, founded in 1889, has been awarded a dozen LEED registered projects and gained Silver LEED certification on its regional office in Stevens Point, Wis. Theresa Lehman, Boldt field engineer and sustainable consultant for the Affinity project, said Affinity’s Greenville clinic is setting a standard for sustainable design and construction. “This clinic is so airy and bright, you feel more relaxed, comfortable and your level of anxiety and stress is reduced—it’s not like sitting in a traditional patient waiting room.”

In addition to the Greenville clinic, Affinity is seeking LEED certification for four other new clinic projects in the Fox Valley, as well as a 50,000-square-foot expansion and renovation project at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton.

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For the Editor:
Affinity Health System, a Catholic mission-oriented regional health care network, is a partnership of Ministry Health Care and Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare. Affinity Health System is the Fox Valley’s third largest employer, according to the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and is nationally listed among the top 50 hospitals for quality and efficiency (Thomson Reuters, Modern Healthcare). For eight consecutive years, Affinity Health System has been named to the SDI Health (formerly Verispan) Integrated Health Network Top 100, an annual assessment of the 100 most highly integrated health care networks in the nation – Affinity ranks no. 29 in the 2009 report. Both St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton and Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh rank among the top 1 percent among hospitals nationwide in terms of quality and efficiency, as determined by the 2007 Premier | CareScience Select practice National Quality Award. Network Health Plan has achieved Excellent accreditation status from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the highest possible level. It is ranked 31st in the nation, according to the U.S. News and World Report/NCQA Best Health Plans in America listing. Members of Affinity include Mercy Medical Center and Mercy Health Foundation, Oshkosh; St. Elizabeth Hospital and the St. Elizabeth Hospital Community Foundation, Appleton; Affinity Medical Group, a regional network of 22 family practice and specialty clinics – including two fully operational Medical Home models – in 14 communities; Calumet Medical Center, Chilton; Network Health Plan, Menasha; and Affinity Occupational Health.