The towering oaks and vibrant maples surrounding Advocate Christ Medical Center and Advocate Children’s Hospital aren’t just for shade. They represent a deep commitment to health, sustainability and community well-being. That dedication has earned the hospitals a 2024 Tree Campus designation from the Arbor Day Foundation, an honor recognizing institutions that integrate trees into their landscapes to promote healing and tranquility.
Michelle Bouchard, a neonatal intensive care unit nurse and sustainability lead at the Oak Lawn hospital, played a key role in securing the recognition. Along with Gideon Robbin, manager of facilities and operations, she submitted the hospital’s application and Tree Campus Plan in December 2024. The plan pledges ongoing care for the more than 90 native trees on campus and highlights the vital role trees play in human health.
“Healthcare institutions are places of healing, and integrating nature into their surroundings helps build a foundation for healthier, more resilient communities,” Bouchard said. “Research has long shown that green spaces can improve air quality, reduce stress and even lead to better patient outcomes. For healthcare workers, exposure to nature can also help alleviate burnout.”
The Arbor Day Foundation is a global nonprofit with a mission to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. Its network of more than a million supporters and partners has helped the organization plant more than 500 million trees in forests and communities across more than 60 countries since 1972.
The Tree Campus program recognizes schools, universities, and healthcare facilities, like Advocate Christ Medical Center and Advocate Children’s Hospital, that utilize trees to improve their communities.
To earn the Tree Campus designation, a healthcare institution must meet five key standards: establishing a tree advisory committee, maintaining a facility tree care plan, completing a community forestry project, sponsoring a celebration event that highlights the connection between trees and human health, and investing in a campus tree program.
“Trees and green spaces are proven to improve health outcomes and reduce stress for both patients and caretakers,” Bouchard said. “Trees also provide profound layers of good for the greater community, including combating extreme heat, improving air quality, and reducing flooding impacts. Advocate Christ Medical Center & Children’s Hospital prioritizes safe patient care within our campus but also prioritizes human health by its values and commitment to environmental stewardship.”
The hospital, located at 4440 W. 95th St., has long protected its trees, even through years of construction and major renovations. More recently, its Green Advocates Team took their commitment beyond hospital grounds by helping plant 50 native trees in the south suburbs.
“We look forward to participating in more tree planting events improving tree canopy where needed in our community,” Bouchard said.
The post Advocate Christ Medical Center, Advocate Children’s Hospital earn Tree Campus recognition appeared first on Southwest Regional Publishing.