IRVING, TX -- (Marketwire) -- 11/23/09 -- VHA Inc., the national health care network that represents more than 1,400 not-for-profit hospitals across the country, has joined the U.S. Department of Energy's Hospital Energy Alliance. The HEA's mission is to promote evidence-based information on successful strategies for integrating technologies and processes that will reduce hospital energy consumption and operating costs. VHA joined the HEA as part of its commitment to promoting environmental stewardship in health care.

Just launched in April, the HEA follows other DOE industry efforts to target large sectors in the U.S. economy where there is the greatest opportunity to make major reductions in energy consumption. Hospitals, with their high-energy usage that accompanies the need to provide 24/7 care, were a natural segment to participate. VHA's involvement extends its own Corporate Citizenship and Sustainability program with a national platform to inform and engage hospitals across the country in sustainability initiatives.

"The Department of Energy's Hospital Energy Alliance provides an enormous opportunity for VHA and its members to help drive the national movement for greater hospital efficiency and sustainability," said Michael Regier, VHA's senior vice president for legal and corporate affairs. "VHA is proud to participate along with other national experts and leading hospitals taking on this important charge. We want to help HEA promote powerful, common-sense ways for not-for-profit hospitals to positively impact the environment."

VHA's ability to reach across such a broad segment of the hospital sector is a key component of its involvement. Not only will VHA participate in the HEA's Benchmarking and Integration subcommittee, VHA also will work with the HEA to uncover best practices and leverage its own member communications channels to disseminate information to hospitals nationwide.

Several VHA member hospitals are already part of the HEA, including:

--  Gundersen Lutheran Health System, La Crosse, Wis.

--  Metro Health, Wyoming, Mich.

--  New York-Presbyterian  Hospital, New York

--  Partners HealthCare System, Boston

--  Providence Health & Services, Seattle

--  Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Conn.
    

About VHA - VHA Inc., based in Irving, Texas, is a national network of not-for-profit health care organizations that work together to drive maximum savings in the supply chain arena, set new levels of clinical performance, and identify and implement best practices to improve operational efficiency and clinical outcomes. Formed in 1977, VHA serves more than 1,400 hospitals and more than 23,000 non-acute care providers nationwide.