MemorialCare Wins ASHE Sustainability Honors Again, Showing Hospitals Can Cut Waste and Costs While Helping Patients

MemorialCare scores repeat honors from ASHE, a nod to practical hospital sustainability

MemorialCare has been named again this year by the American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) for progress on hospital energy and performance. The health system says a number of its hospitals and outpatient sites won ASHE’s 2025 Energy to Care and Sustained Performance Awards — marking the second straight year it has been recognized. For patients and the communities MemorialCare serves, the win is more than a trophy: it means buildings that run more efficiently, lower operating costs, and a smaller environmental footprint.

Which MemorialCare locations were honored and in what categories

MemorialCare’s announcement says multiple hospitals and outpatient centers across its network were included among the ASHE winners. The awards fall into two main buckets: Energy to Care, which highlights measurable reductions in energy use, and Sustained Performance, which covers longer-term improvements in operational metrics. MemorialCare said several of its major hospitals — including its Long Beach and Saddleback-area facilities — were singled out, along with select community clinics and support sites. The company’s news release lists the full roster of honored facilities and notes that multiple sites earned recognition in each award category.

How ASHE judges these programs — and why the awards matter for hospitals

ASHE’s Energy to Care program focuses on concrete actions that reduce energy use in healthcare buildings. Judges look for measurable savings from upgrades like more efficient heating and cooling systems, controls that cut waste, and projects that save energy without disrupting patient care. Sustained Performance awards reward teams that keep targets in place over time — showing that changes are not one-off fixes but lasting improvements.

These awards matter in practical terms. Hospitals spend a lot on energy and facility upkeep; small efficiency gains can free up money for staff, equipment, or patient services. They also reduce emissions and local pollution, which affects community health. In other words, an award for better building performance is also an award for smarter use of resources that benefits patients and neighborhoods.

Voices from MemorialCare and ASHE

In the company’s statement, MemorialCare leaders framed the recognition as proof that operations work can be good for people as well as budgets. “We’re proud that our teams have shown measurable results that lower energy use and support better care,” the statement said. MemorialCare highlighted the role facilities staff and engineers play in daily improvements.

ASHE, in its announcement, praised the winning organizations for turning plans into real savings and for sharing best practices with other health systems. The society emphasized that scalable projects — the sort that hospitals can repeat across campuses — are the most valuable outcomes.

Why this award fits into a wider move toward greener, smarter hospitals

Healthcare has been quietly shifting toward sustainability for years. Hospitals are big energy users, so they are a natural place to cut emissions and improve resilience. What’s changed is that more systems are treating efficiency as part of patient care, not just an engineering problem. When a hospital lowers energy waste, it often upgrades systems that also control air quality, backup power, and temperature stability — all things that affect patient comfort and safety.

Recognition from groups like ASHE also helps hospitals win trust in their communities. Public hospitals that show they can run greener operations are often seen as better neighbors and can reduce local pollution burdens. For staff, these awards can boost morale by validating the behind-the-scenes work that keeps lights on and equipment running.

Next steps and where readers can learn more

MemorialCare says it will keep pursuing efficiency projects and monitoring results across its network. The health system’s news release on PR Newswire lists the specific facilities and projects that won awards for 2025 and offers more detail on the performance metrics cited by ASHE. Readers who want the full list of honored sites can consult that company statement for the complete breakdown.

Sources

• prnewswire.com