A Member of the University of Maryland Medical System | In Partnership with the University of Maryland School of Medicine
Email
Print
Members of the Green Team Stand Proud in the Newly Painted Housekeeping Work Room
A behind-the-scenes tour of how waste is separated and moved out of the Medical Center inspired members of the UMMC Green Team to host a "painting party" to spruce up the room where housekeeping staff carry out the final sorting of the hospital's waste before it leaves the building.
The painting party was a way for the members of the Green Team to show their appreciation for the Housekeeping and Hospitality Services (HHS) staff members who handle the Medical Center's waste each day.
"We toured our trash system from the point of generation -- on the nursing units -- to the back door, where it is hauled away," says Denise Choiniere, MS, RN, sustainability manager and chair of the Green Team.
"It provided team members with a perspective on not only how we handle trash at UMMC, but also who handles our trash," Choiniere says. "HHS room attendants Jean Schools and Chante Dunlap and waste attendants Andrew Davis, Willie Williams and Keith Howard shared with the group what their typical work day consists of and answered questions."
To brighten the work environment in the trash room, members of the Green Team volunteered to paint the cinderblock walls from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 3, 2010. Additional volunteers included Bill Griffith, Josh Koziol and Brian Smith of Reduction in Motion, a UMMC contract company responsible for helping the Medical Center develop new ways to reduce, reuse and recycle and Nate Wiley of Curtis Bay Energy, an environmentally-friendly medical waste facility in Baltimore.
Earlier this spring, members of the Green Team also worked with the Facilities Department to host the Medical Center's first-ever Earth Day celebration on April 22, 2010. The Weinberg Atrium was filled with employees and vendors sharing their "Green on Greene Street" accomplishments and initiatives.
Green Team membership is open to staff from all levels and departments throughout the hospital. Anyone who would like to join the Green Team may contact Denise Choiniere at dchoiniere@umm.edu.
Click to Print
Print Preview
