FOREST HILL, Md. — Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center received a 3-star Landscape Management and Operations Accreditation, which was awarded by the Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS). This was announced by Accreditation Facilitator Joe Jackson.
Associate Director of Facilities Operations Terry Kreiser developed the accreditation submission and received the honor on behalf of the school. He explained his inspiration to apply for the accreditation was to provide recognition to his grounds team and to determine how well they are doing in the industry.
“We wanted to gain some assurance that we were doing the right things and meeting or exceeding industry best practices,” he said. After receiving and reviewing the multi-page report from the PGMS Accreditation Evaluation team, Kreiser plans to create a more detailed and organized Grounds Management Plan and make more of an effort to communicate projects and efforts to the organization and surrounding community.
The Accreditation recognizes the Medical Center’s forward-thinking approach to seeking and setting standards and expectations, as demonstrated with its Campus Tree Inventory, Forest Management Plan, Native Planting and Maintenance Strategies, Campus Stormwater Study and the Landscape Master Plan. It also recognized the institution’s sustainable maintenance activities, which include reforestation, planting of native materials, composting, pervious pavements, rain gardens, green roof gardens and the use of battery and electric equipment and vehicles.
The PGMS Landscape Management and Operations Accreditation program is an evaluation tool designed to be used by facilities and organizations that have a landscape services or grounds component. The accreditation focuses on three categories, including environmental stewardship, economic performance and social responsibilities. More information is available on the program here.