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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Atrium Health Mercy
Charlotte, NC
Atrium Health Mercy’s diverse Tree Campus advisory committee includes leaders from sustainability, the hospital’s green team, landscaping, community impact, and the non-profit TreesCharlotte. In partnership with the City of Charlotte and TreesCharlotte, the hospital hosted a tree giveaway for local residents at an elementary school in a rapidly developing area of Charlotte. 200 trees were given away and 86 trees were added to the elementary school’s campus thanks to 24 volunteers from Atrium Health.

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.

Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland, Ohio
With a mission to become more involved in the communities near their campus, Cleveland Clinic partnered with Davey Tree to lead multiple tree planting events in nearby neighborhoods. These included plantings at a school and the transformation of more than seven empty lots into green space. In addition, Cleveland Clinic partners with the Arbor Day Foundation to give away 555 trees to their caregivers through the Community Canopy program each year.  

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.”