Tennessee's first green hospital opens in Johnson City this summer

As Franklin Woods Community Hospital opens it doors inside Med Tech Park this summer, it brings more than just a new medical facility to Johnson City.

With a total economic construction impact to the region of $126 million and employment of nearly 1,000 full-time positions over the two-year building period during the worst national economic recession in generations, FWCH served as a major force in helping the local business community continue to grow. Over these last two years, the nation saw small businesses close regularly, but the area around FWCH continued to open with new business. According to a study by East Tennessee State University, the indirect and induced (businesses created to support workers, etc.) impact was more than $41 million during the construction.

“We started planning Franklin Woods in 2006, long before the recession hit the nation, but the timing was perfect to help the Johnson City community during such a difficult period,” said FWCH CEO David Nicely.

Now that the construction is over and the hospital is opening, Nicely said FWCH now takes another lead role in assisting Johnson City in becoming one of the “greenest” cities in the state.

“From the beginning, we wanted this facility to focus on a healthy environment and sustainability. Interestingly enough, Johnson City political leaders set similar goals for themselves by focusing on recycling and green energy, so the two efforts have really complemented each other,” Nicely said.

FWCH has been built to the standards of the U.S Green Building Council and Nicely said they are applying for LEED certification, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. LEED works on a points system, and there are six different areas where a facility can receive points, including areas such as design, materials and resources, water efficiency and sustainable sites.

“The more points you receive determines what level of LEED certification you receive. Most healthcare facilities in the country have received general LEED certification, but for Franklin Woods, we’ve aimed higher and expect to receive at least a Silver certification and hoping for a Gold certification,” Nicely said.

Just driving into the parking lot at FWCH shows how health care is changing. The area outside the hospital feels like a park with water features, gardens and lots of green space. There is parking near the front doors specifically for low-emission vehicles such as hybrid cars, and even spaces with electrical outlets for physicians using golf carts to come from neighboring offices inside Med Tech Park. In the building the lobby has large glass walls, wood beams and trees growing indoors. When describing the facility, hospital staff often use words like “resort” or “spa.” Gone are the days of bleached white ceramic floors. These floors are made of cork.

“There’s a reason hospitals are changing how they bring care to their patients,” Nicely said. “Clinical studies have shown that a patient’s surroundings have a real impact on how well they heal. When they are in a place with plenty of natural light, a calming environment and an overall healthy feel, patients keep a positive attitude and actually leave the hospital sooner in better condition.”

And it’s not just the patients. Nicely said human resource studies also have shown that employees work better and stay happier in their positions when in the same environments that prove so beneficial to patients.

“It really shouldn’t come as a surprise that people prefer to work and heal in beautiful environments. Hospitals have been taking a lot of cues from the hospitality industry in recent years, and I think you’ll see that trend continue,” Nicely said. “Cafeterias are being replaced with bistros and cafés. All our rooms are private and waiting rooms are now reception areas with comfortable chairs and couches.”

Hospital officials also said they are putting a real emphasis on wellness. There will be no tobacco use allowed anywhere on the property. There are walking paths that lead around Med Tech Park, including over to the neighboring Wellness Center. The back of the hospital is a dense forest that Nicely said the hospital plans to leave untouched. Around the edges of the facility are healing gardens filled with benches, picnic tables and water features. Even the products used to build the hospital are healthier than average.

“Franklin Woods is expected to be the first hospital in Tennessee to be federally certified as a ‘green’ facility. This goes well beyond just recycling. It has to do with how we handle waste and storm water runoff, how much passive solar energy is used and how safe the products are that we used to build the hospital,” Nicely said. “When you walk into Franklin Woods, it won’t have that ‘new’ smell, because that smell comes from chemicals being emitted from paint and other finishes that are not produced with the health impacts in mind. Those are the types of products we avoided when constructing Franklin Woods.”