Weeks Medical Center

Reducing our carbon footprint!

Weeks Medical is a nonprofit hospital which recently built a new patient care facility. Weeks Medical Center sought opportunities to reduce their carbon footprint, to support the local economy, and to improve access to health services and educational opportunities. One identified area of needed support was funding to support distance learning and tele-medicine equipment, as well as the purchase and installation of a new biomass system to support heating and cooling at the newly constructed facility. NCIC assisted the hospital with grant writing and management of a $180,010 USDA Distance Learning and Tele-medicine grant and a $250,000 Northern Border Regional Commission Grant. Today, the wood boiler is installed, conference rooms are fully outfitted with equipment, and 6 Nursing Homes have connected virtually to Weeks Medical services. Weeks created 11 new jobs; increased patients served from 19,000 in 2017 to over 27,000 in 2020; improved energy efficiency – air emissions testing shows, on average, 99.999% Boiler Combustion Efficiency; improved access to tele-health and tele-learning with over 1,400 patients seen virtually between April and September 2020; and more than 100 employees have taken advantage of virtual education opportunities.