March 24, 2009 Rush University Medical Center is Building Chicagos First Full Service Green Hospital (CHICAGO)-

Rush University Medical Center is constructing a new hospital, scheduled to open to the public in 2012, that will be the first full service Green hospital in Chicago. Rush will seek Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for both the new hospital and a new orthopedic ambulatory building, which is scheduled to open this October. Both buildings and a new parking garage and power plant are designed to conserve energy and water, reduce waste and use sustainable building materials. Seeking LEED certification and constructing sustainable buildings were identified early on in the initial design process as one of the guiding principles for the Rush Modernization program, according to Joe De Voss, Assistant Vice-President in the Rush Office of Transformation. Indeed, doing the right thing - making a commitment to constructing and operating sustainable medical facilities is a growing trend in healthcare that ties in with hospitals missions and obligations to the larger community to help reduce the carbon footprint of one of the least energy-efficient building types. Engineers are using recycled materials for the new buildings. It is expected that 95 percent recycled steel will be used and 40 percent fly ash concrete. To save energy transporting materials, materials produced locally within 500 miles of Chicago are being selected for construction. The use of recycled building products everywhere, from structural concrete to interior finishes and furniture is a prominent component of going green. New techniques to save water will be implemented by installing multiple roofs designed for slow release of rainwater into city storm sewers. Rather than using traditional sprinkler systems to irrigate landscaping, the use of air conditioner condensation will be used to water gardens, conserving enough water to fill two Olympic-sized swimming pools each year. Landscaping will incorporate indigenous plants that need less water than conventional lawn grass and rainwater will also be collected in special planters to be used for watering trees. Green housekeeping practices will replace standard cleaning methods by using environmentally preferable products, along with an ongoing evaluation of cleaning practices and equipment. Lint-free, synthetic fiber mops will be used that are absorbent without the use of water, therefore eliminating the process of rinsing and wringing. An estimated 500,000 gallons of water per year will be saved using fiber mops. Brightened waiting rooms will be lit using passive solar light and energy efficient lighting fixtures and bulbs. Insulated glass and shadow boxes will be installed to reduce solar heat gain.

Rush will team up with the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) to meet ASHRAE 90.1, a stringent energy code mandated by the city that must be met to create energy efficient systems for heating and cooling. A central power plant will also be used to utilize low CFC chillers and boilers will be used for more energy efficiency. A green parking garage will encourage drivers to use energy-efficient vehicles by providing stalls for such vehicles closest to the entrance. The lot will be monitored, ensuring only vehicles with approved stickers park in reserved spots. Reduced parking rates will also be granted to those driving energy-efficient vehicles and those who carpool. In addition, planters are built into the second and fourth floors to allow evergreen vines to grow along trellises on the north and west walls. Elevators will no longer rely on the use of oil for operation, but rather Rush will use gearless Gen X elevators that are lubrication-free and save up to 50 percent more energy than conventional hydraulic and geared systems. The new 14-level East Tower hospital building will use design as an element that contributes to healing. The buildings bow shape will ensure maximum daylight penetration to patient rooms while allowing staff and nursing stations to see all of the rooms and staff areas. Each room will have individual patient-controlled lighting and thermal comfort systems. It will also include expanded emergency services facilities that will bring an unprecedented level of preparedness to Chicago in the event of immediate and widespread emergencies such as pandemics of bioterrorism. Rushs smoke-free campus will encourage an expanded recycling program in an effort to continue to go green. The LEED Green Building Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. About Rush University Medical Center Transformation In 2004, Rush University Medical Center announced a 10-year campus redevelopment plan, called the Rush Transformation, to build new facilities, renovate existing buildings and adopt state-of-the-art new technologies. The new hospital is the center piece of a the $900 million project, which also includes a new orthopedic ambulatory building, parking garage and central power plant, renovations of selected older buildings and demolition of obsolete buildings. The Rush Transformation is being funded through operating capital, philanthropy, debt financing and government grants. Perkins+Will, an integrated design firm, is designing the new hospital and other structures that are part of the Rush Transformation. Powers/Jacobs is the firm serving

as construction manager.