Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP) was recently awarded the 2015 Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Environmental Award for Environmental Quality at a Non-industrial Installation. NMCP was one of 29 winners fleetwide and the only Navy Medicine command to be recognized out of 59 submissions.

Each year, the CNO recognizes Navy ships, installations, teams and individuals for exceptional achievement in environmental stewardship. Awards are presented for accomplishments in categories from natural resources conservation and cultural resources management to environmental restoration and environmental planning.

The CNO's awards recognize those who have made momentous contributions in environmental areas.

"We have worked to implement waste-minimization technologies that allow us to accomplish our mission of patient care while contributing to an overall reduction in waste generation," said Lynette Donegan, NMCP's environmental manager.

Various initiatives included reducing medical waste, keeping food out of the trash, and recycling curtains, paper and plastics while housekeeping minimized the amount of water necessary to clean.
NMCP saw a reduction in the amount of potentially infectious medical waste by approximately 77,000 pounds from 2014 to 2015. Instead of medical waste, such as blood and tissue being discarded, it is incinerated which resulted in a 36 percent decrease.

In the galley, the Orca 50 rapidly turns leftover food into compost liquid. The liquid waste is safely discharged into the sewage system and diverted almost 220,000 pounds of food waste from the landfill.

"The Orca digests about 50 to 60 pounds of food per hour," said Chief Hospital Corpsman (SCW/EXW/SW/FMF/LAC/NAC/NAO) Raymond Faulkner, departmental leading chief petty officer of Base Operations and Management of Installations. "It's a self-feeding enzyme unit that prevents tons of food from going into landfills."

For years, NMCP has the focused on recycling.

"We have 146 recycling containers, and we recycle about two to three tons of paper every two to three days," Faulkner said. "In addition, we also recycle plastics and aluminum and the Recycling Center recycles almost three tons of cardboard a week."

Creative methods of environmental quality that were implemented included the use of recyclable hospital curtains and the use of a new mopping system.

Previously, the medical center used cloth curtains that had to be washed and easily became worn. Now the medical center uses high-end paper curtains that have a life span of one year. At the end of the year, they are recycled with other paper products.

The new mopping system uses flat, light-fabric mops as opposed to the large mops and buckets of water previously used. The new mops work with a fraction of the water, and they are able to be washed and reused. This system generates no discharge to the sanitary sewer and subsequently eliminates cross contamination among rooms that have been cleaned.

"This award is really the culmination of efforts from everyone at the command," said Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Almond, the command facilities manager. "People were passionate about these efforts and it resulted in this award."

For more news from Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, visit www.navy.mil/.