The Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre at the Austin Hospital in Melbourne has opened with flying green colours. The centre, which opened in late September, is awaiting its Green Star - Healthcare vl rating, though the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) is already hailing it as one of Australia's greenest hospitals. Like other green star certifications, the Healthcare vl tool rates a medical centre's environmental initiatives. It awards points for such amenities as providing patients with access to daylight and allowing a visual connection to the environment, in addition to those designed to reduce pollutants and maintain appropriate internal noise levels. "Solid international research in a range of healthcare settings has found that patients who have some influence over their immediate environment, and who have access to natural light, ventilation and views, recover faster than those who do not," said GBCA chief executive Romilly Madew.
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