Chicago, Illinois - ORA Dental Studio was honored at the 2010 CleanMed conference in Baltimore for their leadership in healthcare with the Partner for Change Award from Practice Greenhealth an organization committed to environmentally responsible healthcare operations.

The award is one of the organization's seven Environmental Excellence Awards given each year during CleanMed to honor outstanding environmental achievements in the health care sector. ORA Dental Studio has the distinction of becoming the first dental facility in the nation to receive this award from Practice Greenhealth for their work toward mercury reduction, waste reduction, and pollution prevention.

"ORA is leading the way with sustainability in the dental industry and we are so pleased to have our accomplishments recognized at a national level," said Mladen Kralj D.M.D., co-founder and lead developer of ORA Dental Studio.

CleanMed is an annual global conference focused on environmentally sustainable health care. This international conference plays a crucial role in catalyzing environmental improvements in the health care sector. The conference draws a diverse mix of over 600 health care leaders, materials and purchasing managers, environmental health and safety staff, doctors, nurses and providers, architects, designers, and medical and building product vendors from across the globe.

"Receiving this award while standing next to monumental healthcare institutions like the Cleveland Clinic Health Systems, Kaiser Permanente Hospitals, Stanford University Medical Center, and University of Chicago Hospitals is an exceptional honor for our growing dental group," indicates Steven Koos D.D.S., M.D., co-founder and ORA's lead oral and maxillofacial surgeon and Director of Environmental Affairs.

Each year at the CleanMed conference (www.cleanmed.org) the Environmental Excellence awards recognize pioneering organizations whose environmental programs are well established and who are leading the healthcare sector with innovative projects. The Partner for Change Award recognizes clinic and health centers that have "greened" their operations. The award recipient must demonstrate a significant recycling program, a waste reduction plan, and that they have begun reducing mercury (or never had it) and have implemented a number of other successful pollution prevention programs.

"The Environmental Excellence Awards recognize success stories," said Bob Jarboe, executive director of Practice Greenhealth." ORA Dental Studio is a successful model of how health facilities can develop and implement pollution prevention programs to greatly improve the health of their patients, staff and community."

Practice Greenhealth is the nation's leading membership and networking organization for institutions in the healthcare community that have made a commitment to sustainable, eco-friendly practices. Members include hospitals, healthcare systems, businesses and other stakeholders engaged in the greening of healthcare to improve the health of patients, staff and the environment. Practice Greenhealth is a source of environmental solutions for the health care sector. For more information on Practice Greenhealth, healthy initiatives, current trends, news and views, and other links to earth-friendly organizations, visit www.practicegreenhealth.com.

About ORA Dental Studio
ORA Dental Studio is Chicago's and the nation's first and only 'green' group dental practice promoting Eco-friendly Dentistry®. ORA delivers the perfect synthesis of a chic, zen-modern environment, state-of-the-art green technology, minimally and non-invasive services, and eco-friendly protocols and products that are uncommon in traditional dental practices and unique to Chicago.

ORA Dental Studio's eco-initiatives start with the meticulous design and construction of its dental practices that strictly followed LEED™ (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and GGHC (Green Guide for Health Care) protocols. Through conscientious planning ORA has created high performance ‘green' facilities that are healthier for their patients, a more productive place to work, less costly to operate and maintain, and reduce their environmental footprint. ORA's Wicker Park practice will be the first LEED™ Silver certified dental practice in Chicago, and one of only a handful in the nation.

ORA Dental Studio is also a dental industry leader in the delivery of green healthcare, garnering numerous awards. Among them, ORA is one of the first dental practices in the nation to achieve the Eco Dentistry Association™ (EDA) certification at the highest level – GreenDOC™ Gold. ORA was also inducted as an EDA Charter Certified Practice, a distinction that honors practices that are innovators and leaders at the forefront of dentistry's green wave.

Founded by Dr. Mladen Kralj, Dr. Goran Kralj, Dr. Steven Koos, and Dr. Reggie Thurston, ORA Dental Studio offers comprehensive general, cosmetic and oral surgery services such as: non-invasive laser periodontal therapy; BPA-free composite resin restorations; non-invasive ozone treatment; metal-free/lead-free porcelain restorations; laser teeth whitening; Invisalign clear braces; smile makeovers with porcelain veneers; dental implants; sedation "sleep" dentistry, and wisdom tooth extractions.

ORA Dental Studio currently has four locations in downtown Chicago's West Loop, South Loop, Wicker Park, and Gold Coast neighborhoods. In the fall of 2010 ORA plans on opening its fifth location in the Roscoe Village neighborhood at the Green Exchange (www.greenexchange.com) the nation's largest sustainable business community. For more information about ORA Dental Studio visit www.oradentalstudio.com