Michigan Hospital Designated as Green Building

The Lacks Cancer Center at Saint Mary’s Health Care in Grand Rapids, Mich., has been certified as a green building by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), according to a report in the Grand Rapids Press.

The facility is only the second hospital in the country to receive the USGBC’s Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certification, according to the report.

Energy efficient heating and air flow systems helped the facility earn its green building certification. In addition, the exterior windows of the cancer center tower are self-washing.

According to the report, it is especially difficult for hospitals to get green building certification because the buildings require intensive energy use at all hours of the day.