By Healthcare Facilities Today

Kaiser Permanente May 22 announced it will seek Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification for all new construction of hospitals, large medical offices and other major projects.

“By adopting the LEED standard for all new major construction, we are demonstrating our commitment to green building strategies and to the total health of our communities,” Don Orndoff, Kaiser Permanente senior vice president of National Facilities Services, said in a press release. 

The Kaiser Permanente Westside Medical Center in Hillsboro, Ore., opening in August 2013, is the first Kaiser Permanente hospital to earn LEED Gold. The 126-bed facility will be Kaiser Permanente’s 38th hospital. 

With plans to spend roughly $30 billion over the next 10 years on hospital and medical office construction, Kaiser Permanent’s LEED Gold commitment is expected to affect 14 million square feet of real estate, or more than 100 buildings over the next ten years.

LEED is a rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council that serves as a guide for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. Buildings are awarded points for environmentally significant practices and sustainable features.