MADERA, Calif. – Valley Children’s Healthcare has earned national recognition through The Joint Commission’s Sustainable Healthcare Certification, highlighting the organization’s leadership in sustainable healthcare.
The voluntary certification, awarded for two years, recognizes healthcare organizations that incorporate sustainability into governance, operations and patient care.
Valley Children’s was the second children’s hospital in the nation and among the first hospitals in California to receive the designation when the program launched in 2024. Its latest recognition marks the second time it has earned the certification.
“Taking care of kids also means taking care of the communities they live in, and the environment around them,” said Danielle Barry, chief operating officer at Valley Children’s. “By prioritizing sustainability in our daily operations, we are strengthening our organization, improving how we deliver care, and helping build a healthier future for every child and family we serve.”
Since its initial certification, Valley Children’s has advanced its sustainability work with improved performance tracking, expanded programs and deeper integration of sustainability into leadership and operations.
One of Valley Children’s most transformative sustainability projects broke ground in 2024, initiating the start of what will soon be a first-of-its-kind microgrid – complete with solar panels, fuel cells and battery storage. This will allow Valley Children’s to generate, store and distribute electricity to meet up to 80% of the hospital’s energy needs, dramatically reducing reliance on fossil fuels and ensuring uninterrupted care for patients. Once complete, the microgrid project will be the largest renewable energy microgrid connected to a hospital emergency system in the country.
Another initiative, the ReTin and Reuse Program, repurposes laboratory tins typically discarded after one use into seed starters. The program has repurposed 2,600 tins and diverted more than 275 pounds of steel from landfills since launching earlier this year.
The hospital also supports the Roots of Resilience Gardening Committee, a therapeutic gardening program that invites patients and families to plant and grow produce in a community garden as part of emotional and psychological support.
These more visible sustainability efforts are in addition to behind-the-scenes work happening in daily operations, including a supply chain reprocessing initiative that has diverted more than 1,200 pounds of waste, along with policies aimed at reducing waste, expanding water bottle refill stations and promoting sustainable food practices.
“At its core, this certification recognizes healthcare organizations that are thoughtfully integrating sustainability into how they operate and care for patients,” said Tina Costello, executive director of corporate compliance at Valley Children’s. “It’s about making intentional choices today that support healthier futures for the children and families we serve.”
Valley Children’s said it plans to continue focusing on sustainability and innovation as part of its long-term strategy to support the health and well-being of children and families in the Central Valley.
