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American College of Healthcare Sciences Wins #6 out of 100 Best Green Workplaces

  • 06/02/16

PORTLAND, OR – American College of Healthcare Sciences (ACHS) was named number 6 out of the 100 Best Green Workplaces in Oregon by Oregon Business magazine, rising 6 places from the #12 spot last year.

Based on Oregon Business magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For in Oregon project, the 100 Best Green Workplaces are determined by an anonymous employee survey and an independent assessment of employer sustainability practices. This year, more than 230 companies participated, and more than 15,000 Oregon employees completed the survey.

“Our College mission is to educate our students and greater communities to live healthier lives. This includes being good stewards of Mother Earth,” says ACHS President and Founder Dorene Petersen.

“It means a lot to be recognized for this employee- and student-driven commitment. We take our leadership role seriously, doing things like offering a panel on creating sustainable practices and a greener curriculum at the 2016 Oregon Higher Education Sustainability Conference (OHESC) in Eugene, Oregon. I’m proud of our ACHS staff and faculty who continually demonstrate their commitment to green values and practices, and share knowledge of the impact of our everyday environmental habits with their communities.”

ACHS’s #6 ranking honors the college’s mission to promote sustainable practices and principles including a commitment to Oregon Tilth Certified Organic status, employee carpooling incentives, telecommuting options, green building remodeling choices, office-wide recycling and composting and rain barrel water collection, among others.

“We’re thrilled with this award and very excited to see the college’s green mission continue to grow,” says Chief Strategy Officer Erika Yigzaw. “We’re all responsible for the welfare of our planet and a healthy planet is key to a healthy population. All of us at ACHS are happy to share the sustainable tips and tools we’ve learned through our 35-year history, and show how even simple things, done regularly, can make a big difference.

“Following recent news about toxins in our air in SE Portland from glass manufacturing and lead in the water at several Portland Public Schools, we want to encourage all companies to step up and get green. These events are a wake up call that we’re not immune from the problem of environmental toxins here in the Pacific North West, and we can all help each other to do better. I hope we can inspire other small business owners to make even a few changes and start thinking more about the triple bottom line: People and Planet, along with Profits.”

To learn more about ACHS green business practices, visit https://www.achs.edu/achs-green-campus. For more information about ACHS sustainability webinars and green-friendly courses, call 800.487-8839 or visit www.achs.edu.

About ACHS
American College of Healthcare Sciences has been educating industry leading holistic health professionals since 1978. The college is an accredited member of the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC) and is a recognized member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). ACHS is also a Green America Gold Certified Business and has received Oregon Tilth Organic Certification. The college store, the Apothecary Shoppe, sources all products and academic materials with care, compassion and a commitment to environmental stewardship. ACHS is one of the only accredited holistic health colleges offering fully online graduate and undergraduate degrees, diplomas, career-training certificates and continuing education courses in integrative medicine fields, such as aromatherapy, herbal medicine, holistic nutrition, and wellness coaching.

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