MUHC wins MSSS Prix d’excellence in Sustainable Development

Yesterday, in Quebec City, the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) held a ceremony to announce the winners of its Prix d’excellence du réseau de la santé et des services sociaux, which celebrate the innovation, commitment and the spirit of collaboration involved in initiatives across a number of categories.

I had the pleasure of attending this ceremony with Caroline Dubé, Associate Director General – Administration, Pierre-Marc Legris, Director of Technical Services, and members of his team—Marie-Christine Chartier, Assistant to the Director, Performance and Sustainable Development, Yannick Guénette, Associate Director, Operations and PPP Agreements, and Amanda De Rosa, Planning, Programming and Research Agent, Environment—, as well as two representatives of our private partners, Stéphane Couture of Johnson Controls and Denis Bastien of AtkinsRéalis. Not only did we learn about other network initiatives, but we also had the distinct honour of hearing the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) announced as the winner of the Prix d’excellence in the Sustainable Development category and our McGill RUISSS partner, the CISSS de l’Outaouais receive an Honourable Mention in the same category for its “digesteur à aérobie”.

This award of excellence recognizes specifically the Glen site for achieving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification and distinguishes it as an international symbol of green building leadership that offers users a healthy environment while minimizing impacts on the environment and our resources. 

The Glen is the first hospital site in Quebec to be twice LEED Gold certified – first in 2016 and again in 2019. The criteria for LEED certification are rigorous and cover six areas: location and transportation, site development, water, energy, materials, and indoor environmental quality (e.g. natural light and clean air). Very few healthcare facilities on the scale of the Glen site have obtained this coveted status. The Glen site is also noteworthy for the sustainable development principles at the heart of its design, construction and operation.

I wish to extend my gratitude to our Technical Services’ directorate for stewarding our sustainable development and operations across the MUHC, and to our partners and our teams in every directorate and clinical area for their ongoing support. Our success in integrating, promoting and developing best practices in sustainability, indeed in protecting the environment depends on collective and individual actions – big and small. 

The Award of Excellence in Sustainable Development is therefore recognition that should make us all feel very proud. Congratulations to all who put our candidacy forward and helped us take home this prestigious prize from the MSSS in the presence of the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, the Minister Responsible for Social Services, Lionel Carmant, and the Minister Responsible for Seniors and Delegate Minister of Health, Sonia Bélanger.

Our green journey continues…

Click here to see the video presented at the ceremony yesterday 

Lucie Opatrny, MD MHCM FRCP(c), MSc.
President and Executive Director, MUHC