July 21, 2025, Press Release from Mercy Health:
LIMA, Ohio – St. Rita’s Medical Center is once again being recognized for its commitment to developing a sustainable culture that will protect the environment and its communities’ health, now and for future generations.
Practice Greenhealth, a leading sustainability member organization for hospital networks, has recognized Mercy Health – St. Rita’s Medical Center as one of its 2025 Greenhealth Emerald Award winners. This recognition spotlights hospitals that have demonstrated a strong commitment to sustainability and shown leadership in the local community and in the health care sector by setting the standard in eliminating mercury, reducing and recycling waste, sustainable sourcing, and other areas.
“Sustainability remains a key focus across our entire ministry, and it’s driven by countless hours of hard work and dedication from our teams,” said Matthew Etzkorn, Vice President of Mission for Mercy Health - Lima. “We know the choices we make today will shape the world we leave for our children and grandchildren. That’s why every decision – whether big or small – reflects our commitment to protecting the health of our patients, staff, and community, while caring for the environment we all share.”
In health care, sustainability means looking at how our operations affect the health and safety of our environment as well as the health of our patients, staff, visitors, and the local community. Strategies to address sustainability at our organization include minimizing and recycling waste, addressing chemicals of concern, lowering energy and water consumption, sourcing food and products sustainably, and establishing environmentally preferable purchasing criteria. At Mercy Health, we know sustainability is essential to better care for our patients, communities, and planet.
“In a shifting health care landscape, a focus on sustainability can help build resilience while better protecting the health of patients and the community,” said Gary Cohen, Practice Greenhealth founder. “Mercy Health – St. Rita’s Medical Center demonstrates the kind of leadership, innovation, and performance that can drive the entire health sector toward more environmentally responsible practices.”
In recent years, we have made great strides toward reducing our impact on the environment, and we are committed to doing even more. Examples of our initiatives include lessening waste sent to landfills, recycling materials in the millions of pounds, moving away from single-use products, and handling waste in an environmentally way.
The Partner for Change award is one of Practice Greenhealth’s Environmental Excellence Awards given annually to honor health care’s achievements in sustainability.
Practice Greenhealth is a nonprofit membership organization founded on the principles of positive environmental stewardship and best practices by organizations in the health care community. Practice Greenhealth provides information, tools, data, resources, and expert technical support on sustainability initiatives that help hospitals and health systems meet their health, financial, and community goals.
About Mercy Health - Lima
Mercy Health – St. Rita’s Medical Center, is part of Bon Secours Mercy Health (BSMH) one of the 20 largest health systems in the United States and the fifth-largest Catholic health system in the country. The ministry’s quality, compassionate care is provided by nearly 60,000 associates serving communities in Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, and Virginia, as well as throughout Ireland. Mercy Health – St. Rita’s Medical Center has been providing quality health care to the people of Allen County and west central Ohio since 1918. The mission of Mercy Health is to extend the compassionate ministry of Jesus by improving the health and well-being of our communities and bring good help to those in need, especially people who are poor, dying and underserved. With more than 3,000 employees, physicians and volunteers in the area, the ministry provides quality, innovative, compassionate care to the greater Lima community. For more information, visit mercy.com.
