Tomahawk, Merrill locations among those recognized
For the Tomahawk Leader
WISCONSIN – Aspirus Health last week announced that 15 of its locations, including Aspirus Tomahawk Hospital and Aspirus Merrill Hospital, were named 2023 Tree Campus Healthcare institutions by the Arbor Day Foundation.
A release from Aspirus said the hospitals were recognized for their “commitment to planting, nurturing and celebrating trees.”
Along with Aspirus’ Tomahawk and Merrill hospitals, Aspirus locations in Antigo, Eagle River, Iron River, Ironwood, Medford, Portage, Rhinelander, Stanley, Stevens Points, Wausau, Wisconsin Rapids, Woodruff and Laurium, Mich., also received recognition.
Currently, only 50 hospitals in the nation are designated Tree Campus Healthcare institutions, according to the release.
The Arbor Day Foundation is the world’s largest membership nonprofit organization dedicated to planting trees.
“Its Tree Campus Healthcare program aims to transform community health and ultimately save lives through trees, as well as recognize health care institutions that make an impact on wellness through tree planting, education and community engagement,” the release stated.
“As a health system, we recognize the critical importance trees play in the health of individuals and communities,” said Andrew Miller, Director of System Facilities Management and Security for Aspirus Health. “We believe planting and caring for trees is the right thing to do and aligns to our mission of healing people, promoting health and strengthening communities.”
“Spending time in green space has been proven to better health outcomes and reduce stress for staff and caretakers,” said Dan Lambe, Chief Executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “We’re proud of Aspirus Health for going above and beyond to provide these benefits to their community.”
“The landscape and grounds program of our Aspirus Health campuses sets the stage for the exceptional care we deliver to our patients,” Miller stated. “Our facilities teams take pride in ensuring we provide high-quality services and an excellent patient experience for everyone who visits our campuses. I commend our facilities team members for their hard work and dedication that earned Tree Campus Healthcare designation at 15 of our hospitals.”
This is the program’s fifth year. To receive recognition, each of the 15 Aspirus Health hospitals earning Tree Campus Healthcare designation met five annual standards, which include maintaining a tree advisory committee, having a facility tree care plan, completing a community forestry project, educating the community on the importance of trees and investing in a campus tree program.
For more information on the program, visit www.treecampushealthcare.org.