Green Facility
When Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Care (VSEC) moved into its new 23,000-square-foot facility in March 2007, a 15-fold increase in space wasn't the only major change doctors and team members experienced. The new practice was also built "green," using environmentally friendly products and strategies. "We felt strongly about our impact on the local community and environment, as well as our larger impact in terms of energy consumption and waste production," says hospital administrator Dr. Bruce Jens. "As responsible citizens, we couldn't ignore the bigger picture."
VSEC decided to take the extra steps necessary to become LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-certified, a designation conferred by the U.S. Green Building Council indicating a superior level of environmentally responsible building. "No other veterinary practice has taken that step, so we decided we would show that it could be done," Dr. Jens says. "Veterinarians can do it."