Covenant Health Earns National Recognition for Sustainability Efforts

For the fourth consecutive year Covenant Medical Center and Covenant Children’s have been nationally recognized for its sustainability efforts, with each hospital earning the esteemed Emerald Award.

This accolade places both facilities in the top 20 percent of applicants, highlighting their advanced sustainability programs and exemplary performance across various environmental categories. These honors are part of the annual awards program from Practice Greenhealth, one of the nation’s leading organizations dedicated to environmental sustainability.

In addition to the Emerald Award, both Covenant Health facilities have been distinguished as Circles of Excellence exemplars in Climate Impact Reduction, while Covenant Medical Center has also earned recognition for its leadership in Energy Efficiency. The Circles of Excellence Awards celebrate hospitals that demonstrate exceptional achievements in sustainability, identifying top-scoring programs in each category.

Our progress in sustainability has been driven by four major initiatives focusing on pollution reduction and cost savings:

1. Renewable Energy Profile Purchase: All Covenant Health facilities in Lubbock, TX, and NM are now powered by 100% renewable electricity, resulting in $166,000 in cost savings and a 59% reduction in carbon emissions since 2023.
2. Leaky In-Wall Piped Nitrous Oxide Decommissioning: Transitioning to bottled supplies of NO2 has minimized waste and leakage, avoiding 4,100 pounds in losses and saving $13,300 over 2023.
3. Removal of Pollution-Intensive Desflurane Anesthetic: By eliminating Desflurane from the formulary, emissions have been reduced by 370 MTCO2e, saving $49,000 (a 65% reduction since 2023).
4. LED Retrofit Project: Over 31 buildings and 28,375 fixtures have been upgraded, leading to annual savings exceeding $590,000 and avoiding 6,067 bulb failures each year.

Success at Covenant Health is also driven by robust staff engagement. Our dedicated TX & NM Regional Green Team, consisting of over 45 members, regularly meets to advance sustainability projects and community support initiatives. Recent efforts include:

• Hosting neighborhood trash pickups and volunteering at the South Plains Food Bank in Lubbock.
• Expanding kitchen waste composting programs, resulting in a significant increase in composted food over 2023 figures.
• Selling reusable cups in cafeterias to reduce Styrofoam waste, resulting in 1,090 cups sold and 10,286 discounted refills.

Covenant Health remains committed to driving sustainability and environmental stewardship, fostering a healthier community and planet. We are proud of our staff's involvement and dedication to these initiatives and look forward to continuing our journey toward a sustainable future.

Covenant Health ministries are part of the Providence network of hospitals. Altogether, Practice Greenhealth lauded 51 Environmental Excellent Awards to Providence across 32 of its hospitals in 2025.