Texas Health Alliance earns LEED certification

Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Alliance has been awarded LEED certification for environmental design by the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED is the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design program that recognizes the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. The 58-bed, multi-service hospital opened in September 2012, offering acute care and wellness programs to communities in North Fort Worth, Keller, North Richland Hills, Haslet and the surrounding areas. The hospital’s services include emergency medicine, women and infant services, neonatal intensive care, imaging, physical therapy, surgery, cardiac rehabilitation, occupational health and wellness programs. The hospital features the latest in energy efficient technology and environmentally-friendly products.

“When we built Texas Health Alliance we spent a lot of time and effort thinking through each design decision and its impact on the community,” said Winjie Tang Miao, hospital president. “For us, being LEED certified is not just a plaque on the wall. The construction phase may now be over, but we are still focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, recycling and minimizing waste, which benefits our community as a whole, thus creating a healthier environment.” The biggest energy savings at the hospital comes from using a 150-ton heat pump chiller to heat water, which allowed the hospital to offset the gas needed to provide the heating supply and saved 19 percent in energy costs. Other design elements include using light colored roofing, certified wood in the interior, recycling and minimizing waste while constructing the hospital and reducing water usage in the hospital. The hospital also uses interactive patient touchscreens to help control heating and cooling costs.

“Hospitals never close and are always using energy, so I am very proud of the steps that we have taken to reduce our environmental impact,” said Ron Braswell, facilities development senior project manager, who worked on the certification. “What we have achieved at Texas Health Alliance is very special; we have been able to embrace a natural, healing environment that incorporates the natural beauty of our landscape, which is also energy efficient and offers patients a high level of technology.”

Betty Dillard bdillard@bizpress.net

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