having the boiler produce hot water all night, when no one was
there, the hospital decided to program it to operate only during
normal business hours.
But that posed a problem, says Ms. Witucki. There were times
employees were called in for an overnight case, and they couldn't turn
on the boiler in sterile processing without a professional. So the hos-
pital had all of its surgical techs complete a state course and exam to
earn their boiler operator licenses, allowing them to turn it on and off
as needed. It's an unusual move, agrees Ms. Witucki, but it was essen-
tial for the eco-friendly facility.
"It wasn't the most interesting topic to study, by far, but it really
helps us out," she says. "It's good in 2 ways — we're helping the envi-
ronment, and we're saving money."
— Kendal Gapinski
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