Going & Growing Green

Creating a landscape for a healing environment at the new RMH hospital and health campus

A Greener Tomorrow

Construction of the new RMH hospital and health campus is now complete. Throughout the planning and building process, RMH has remained committed to building as environmentally friendly and sustainable (or "green") as possible while adding little or no additional cost to the facility design and construction. In fact, RMH is well on the way to being the first LEED-certified hospital in Virginia. LEED, which stands for "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design," is a green building rating system developed and administered by the U.S. Green Building Council.

An integral part of RMH's "green" vision is creating a beautiful park-like setting outside the facility through thoughtful landscape design.

Research has found that viewing natural scenes or elements fosters patient recovery by:

• evoking positive feelings
• reducing negative emotions
• effectively holding a person's attention or interest
• blocking or reducing stressful thoughts

In addition, research has shown that surgical patients with views of nature had shorter post-operative stays, received fewer negative comments from nurses, took less pain medication and experienced fewer minor post-operative complications.

Going & Growing Green

The RMH Going & Growing Green landscaping campaign has two significant components:

1. Continue to pursue LEED certification with the U.S. Green Building Council
2. Design the landscape with trees, plantings and other natural elements that are environmentally sound, maintainable, cost effective, visually pleasing and supportive of healing for our patients.
   

The campaign is off to a great start! RMH was chosen by the Shenandoah Valley Builder's Association Arbor Day Committee as the 2009 Arbor Day recipient of 30 large trees for the new health campus. On April 24, more than 80 local elementary school students helped plant the first of many beautiful trees that will enhance the hospital grounds for years to come. These 30 trees are a small portion of the total number planned for the developed portion of the 254-acre campus.

How You Can Help

As beautiful and varied as our health campus gardens will be, so are there many ways you can be a part of the Going & Growing Green landscaping campaign. Our goal is to raise $1.7 million and gifts of every size are appreciated. If you would like to fund one of the projects listed below, your name (or a listing in honor or memory of) will be recognized in an appropriate manner.

Healing Garden and other landscaping elements include:

• Natural pond water feature $40,000
• Natural stone retaining walls $35,000
• Terrace pavers and flagstone $30,000
• Wheelchair accessible walkways $30,000
• Terrace water feature $15,000
• Large shade arbor $15,000
• Perennials/ground cover $13,500
• Shrubs (approx. 300) $12,000
• 30 trees (shade & flowering) $10,000
• Garden statue/sculpture $10,000
• Garden irrigation system $10,000
• Mulch and compost $7,500
• Sod for grassy garden areas $7,000
• 25 bushels of daffodil bulbs $5,000
• Garden chairs $2,000
• Resting bench (8 total) $2,000 each

LEED “Green” funding projects include:

• Collection of rain water for irrigation or other nonpotable reuse $500,000
• Development of walking trails and bike paths on the campus for community
  use $250,000
• Retrofitting boilers in the energy plant to burn methane gas produced by landfill $350,000
• Landscaping strategies to enhance water quality and protect the Chesapeake Bay watershed $250,000
• “Green” power purchased from provider (2 yrs) $80,000 each

There are several ways you can make your gift to the RMH Going & Growing Green landscaping campaign:

• Cash (and/or pledge over several years)
• Bequest in a will
• Gifts of stock, real estate, gift annuities or life insurance
• Multi-year pledges (when appropriate)

To learn more about the campaign and how to make a donation, please contact:

Sherrill Glanzer
RMH Foundation
2010 Health Campus Drive
Harrisonburg, VA 22802-3293

540-564-7028