Yale New Haven receives LEED certification for Smilow Cancer Hospital

11/21/11 — The U.S. Green Building Council has awarded LEED^® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification to Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven in recognition of the hospital’s successful sustainable design and construction strategies.

The LEED Green Building Rating System^™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, providing verification that a building was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all metrics.

"When planning for Smilow Cancer Hospital began in 2002, sustainable strategies, including LEED certification, were not easily attainable in healthcare facilities because of their high energy demands and other constraints," said Marna P. Borgstrom, president and CEO, Yale New Haven Hospital. "We are very pleased with this recognition knowing that Smilow Cancer Hospital is the largest healthcare facility in Connecticut to receive LEED certification."

Designed by Shepley Bulfinch architecture firm based in Boston and completed in 2009, Smilow’s sustainable features include: optimum circulation of natural light in its lobbies, corridors and waiting areas to reduce energy consumption; use of occupancy sensors in non-patient spaces to further reduce energy usage; pumps with variable speed drives and room pressure monitors to reduce power usage for enhanced air supply.

In addition, reflective roofs, an exterior sun screen on the west façade, a high-efficiency unitized curtain wall system and a terra cotta rain screen all work to reduce heat gain in the building.

The facility also has upgraded air handling units which provide improved indoor air quality, low-flow water fixtures, low VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints and finishes, easy-to-clean solid surface finishes and epoxy paints in operating rooms to combat infections effectively.

"In addition, construction crews were able to recycle 97.7 percent of construction waste while building Smilow," added Borgstrom.

With 516,000 square feet, Smilow has 14 floors, 168 private patient rooms, 12 operating rooms, radiation therapy and several integrated imaging technologies.

LEED certification is Smilow’s most recent environmental recognition. The Connecticut Green Building Council awarded Smilow a 2011 Award of Merit and the Connecticut Business Journal recognized Smilow with 2010 Green Business Award. The hospital’s 7th floor healing garden received a 2010 Award of Merit from the Connecticut chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects.

Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven is part of the nationally recognized Yale New Haven Hospital, and is affiliated with Yale Cancer Center. Smilow Cancer Hospital, the most comprehensive cancer facility in New England, is a 14-story, 500,000-square-foot cancer hospital, which includes: 168 private inpatient rooms, outpatient multidisciplinary treatment centers, 12 operating rooms, infusion suites, diagnostic imaging services, a floor for children with cancer, a specialized women's cancer center and diagnostic and therapeutic radiology services for children and adults. YNHH is accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Magnet hospital, national confirmation that the nursing staff provides outstanding patient care. For more information, visit www.ynhh.org/smilow. For the latest news and information, follow us on Twitter @ www.ynhh.org or to read about other news stories, please visit our new News Tips section of the Newsroom on our website.