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Sponsored Content Provided By The Davey Tree Expert Company
This content was created by and paid for by an advertiser. The Crain's editorial department was not involved in the creation of this content.
February 28, 2020 10:30 AM

These Tree Campus Healthcare facilities are using trees to improve community health

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    Tree canopy is a critical component of community health infrastructure – but urban tree cover is shrinking, and its health benefits are not often equitably distributed. The Tree Campus Healthcare program, first announced in 2019, recognizes health institutions that make a mission-aligned impact on community wellness through tree education, investment, and community engagement. The Arbor Day Foundation announced the inaugural class of sixteen Tree Campus Healthcare facilities, which earned recognition by fulfilling five program standards in 2019. Interested facilities may apply for 2020 recognition in Fall 2020 at www.TreeCampusHealthcare.org.

    View the sixteen beautiful campuses in the photo gallery below, and download our program overview to read more about the importance of trees to community health and learn how your organization can be recognized as a Tree Campus healthcare facility.

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    UAB Hospital Campus

    UAB Hospital
    Birmingham, AL
    Already a recognized Tree Campus USA university, the University of Alabama at Birmingham expanded its participation in the Tree Campus program through its hospital becoming a Tree Campus Healthcare facility. “We are very proud of our tree program and are interested in being part of a larger community of institutions involved in tree initiatives,” said Bambi Ingram, Sustainability Coordinator for UAB.

     

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    Masonic Homes Kentucky – Louisville

    Masonic Homes Kentucky – Louisville
    Louisville, KY
    Masonic Homes Kentucky, an aging care community, partnered with a local high school – the only one in the metro area offering an agriculture curriculum – to teach students how to plant trees, supporting them in their career preparation and higher education goals. In addition, 16 assisted living residents attended an Arbor Day planting and celebration held on the campus to promote the benefits of trees.

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    UK Healthcare Campus

    UK HealthCare
    Lexington, KY
    Through the University of Kentucky’s Urban Forest Initiative, UK HealthCare provides regular nature therapy classes to hospital patients, their families, and staff. A senior nursing student also created a self-guided mindfulness tree walk that can be performed anywhere with access to trees. “We want to focus more on how the health of the planet determines the health of its people,” said Dr. Connie Jennings, Medical Director of the UK Integrative Medicine & Health program.

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    Perry Point Veterans Affairs Medical Center

    Perry Point Veterans Affairs Medical Center
    Perry Point, MD
    Led by the Green Environmental Management System team, Perry Point VA Medical Center’s Earth Day celebration provided an opportunity for employees to plant trees on campus and to invite the bordering town of Perryville to plant 23 trees along the campus/neighborhood border, bridging a gap in the treeline between the two properties, which share hiking trails. Program materials from the Arbor Day Foundation distributed at the event lent an educational component to the celebration.

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    Spectrum Health Blodgett Hospital

    Spectrum Health Blodgett Hospital
    Grand Rapids, MI
    In 2019, Spectrum Health Blodgett Hospital completed a construction project which included the addition of over 200 trees to the campus, many of them bordering public sidewalks. Great care was taken to preserve existing trees, including a 100-year-old American Elm. “Trees are integral in the health and healing process and play a huge part in sustaining the environment around us,” said Bruce DeVrou, Facilities Project Manager.

     

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    Atrium Health Mercy

    Atrium Health Mercy
    Charlotte, NC
     

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    Parkland Medical Center

    Parkland Medical Center
    Derry, New Hampshire
    In 2019, Parkland Medical Center began an annual tradition of planting a tree and dedicating it to their staff. This year they chose an October Glory maple to provide maximum future shade for employees, patients, and visitors. In celebration of Earth Day, Parkland Medical Center CEO Jeff Scionti delivered an educational speech about the environmental and health benefits of trees.

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    Cleveland Clinic

    Cleveland Clinic

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    The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

    The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
    Columbus, OH
    With The Ohio State University already a proudly recognized Tree Campus USA university, the medical center in 2019 rolled out the use of Ecosia, a search engine that plants trees by donating 80 percent or more of its profits to communities where trees are needed most. With Ecosia established as default search engine on all medical center devices, the medical center aimed to plant 300,000 trees over the course of the year through staff web searches.

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    Coatesville Veterans Affairs Medical Center

    Coatesville Veterans Affairs Medical Center
    Coatesville, PA
    Coatesville VA Medical Center partnered with a local Boy Scout troop to put up tree bands to save trees from the invasive Spotted Lanternfly. Screen savers and posters served as educational tools to get the word out about the invasive species and its impact on Pennsylvania trees. The facility also began a tradition of planting a new native tree each year for Arbor Week along a hill that provides a walking path (and a workout) for staff, residents, and patients.

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    Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

    Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
    Hershey, PA
    Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center created a forest management plan for their 550-acre forested campus, which includes the maintenance of walking and biking trails that connect to community trail systems. They have also provided education on the Spotted Lanternfly at their annual Earth Day event in an effort to save local trees. “[We are committed] to caring not only for our patients but also for our environment and setting an example for others to follow,” said Terry Kreiser, Director, Facilities Operation.

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    The Medical University of South Carolina

    The Medical University of South Carolina
    Charleston, SC
    Also a recognized Tree Campus USA university, MUSC’s grounds team uses Tree Plotter software to map the progress of the campus’s tree inventory. They also partnered with Healing Farms, a local non-profit that connects people with disabilities to career opportunities, to plant a black tupelo on campus. “We realize how important it is to have nature surround a hospital setting and believe that ‘Healing through Nature” (our Arboretum slogan) is key to healing patients sooner,” said Robin Smith, Grounds Supervisor and Urban Farm Manager.

     

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    CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Tyler

    CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Tyler
    Tyler, TX
    The hospital partnered with the City of Tyler’s Tree Committee to distribute more than 2,000 free tree seedlings to the community. Certified arborists and members of the Texas A&M Forest Service helped to educate the community on “planting the right tree for the right place” and best practices for planting seedlings. “Stewardship is one of our core values,” said Aaron Martinez, Certified Grounds Manager. “If we are going to be leaders in healthcare, we should lead in our efforts to protect our natural resources.”

    Share
    Seattle Children’s Hospital

    Seattle Children’s Hospital
    Seattle, WA
    Committed to a culture of environmental stewardship, Seattle Children’s participates in Forterra’s Evergreen Carbon Capture program, which plants trees around the Puget Sound region to offset carbon emissions. The hospital also hosts an annual tree planting that staff and their families can participate in. “This is a wonderful way to engage staff and our community on the many benefits of trees, including carbon mitigation,” said Colleen Groll, Manager, Sustainability Programs.

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    Amery Hospital & Clinic

    Amery Hospital & Clinic
    Amery, WI
    Amery Hospital & Clinic’s campus includes a contemplative trail lined with trees overlooking a river. For Earth and Arbor Day, the sustainability team hosted a giveaway of 200 native seedlings along with planting and care instructions at the hospital entrance for any employee, patient, or visitor who wanted one. “We want to be an organization that promotes health and well-being on all levels, and becoming a Tree Campus Healthcare can help us achieve that goal,” said Luke Wittkop, Grounds Specialist.

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    Westfields Hospital & Clinic

    Westfields Hospital & Clinic
    New Richmond, WI
    Westfields Hospital & Clinic partners with the local high school’s Wildlife Management students to protect and preserve community trees from the invasive buckthorn bush. “We are a growing facility with lots of trees on campus,” said Nathan Schoone, Senior Director of HR and Facilities Services. “We want to make sure they are cared for properly and protected when possible. It’s the right thing to do.”

     

    UAB Hospital Campus
    Masonic Homes Kentucky – Louisville
    UK Healthcare Campus
    Perry Point Veterans Affairs Medical Center
    Spectrum Health Blodgett Hospital
    Atrium Health Mercy
    Parkland Medical Center
    Cleveland Clinic
    The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
    Coatesville Veterans Affairs Medical Center
    Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
    The Medical University of South Carolina
    CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Tyler
    Seattle Children’s Hospital
    Amery Hospital & Clinic
    Westfields Hospital & Clinic


    Download "Tree Campus Healthcare Program Overview"












    Sponsored By:

    Davey Tree Expert Company logo

    Tree Campus Healthcare is an Arbor Day Foundation program with support from professional partner, The Davey Tree Expert Company. Additional program collaborators are Practice Greenhealth, the Professional Grounds Management Society, and the USDA Forest Service.

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