USGBC Unveils LEED for Healthcare

Phoenix, AZ, April 11, 2011 -- The U.S. Green Building Council has introduced its latest green building rating system, LEED for Healthcare, at the CleanMed conference.

The rating system, developed over six yers, guides the design and construction of both new buildings and major renovations of existing buildings, and can be applied to inpatient, outpatient and licensed long-term care facilities, medical offices, assisted living facilities and medical education and research centers.

"LEED for Healthcare represents a milestone for green building," said Gail Vittori, co-director of Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems and Founding Chair of the LEED for Healthcare Committee.

"Building on the foundational work of the Green Guide for Healthcare, it provides an explicit recognition of health consequences associated with a spectrum of building-related decisions—from location, to water and energy sources and use patterns, and materials specification—and emphasizes integrative design as requisite for a successful design, construction and building performance outcomes."