Wellness programs are being considered as essential components of most new cancer centres around the world. In 2012 the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre (ONJCWC) at Austin Health opened its Wellness Centre with an aim that patients would experience wellness programs as an integrated part of their clinical care. In the first 12 months of operation, the ONJCWC Wellness Centre received around 10,000 visits, and provided both group and individual support. Over 60 group support programs were attended by more than 850 patients and family members. Groups include Gentle Yoga, Meditation, Healthy Cooking, Learn to Relax, Boost your Energy, Carers Support and more.

Models of wellness in cancer services around the world exhibit different levels of integration with clinical services, with some having a mandate as a standalone entity. Aside from physical co-location, the concept of integration is dependent on a number of factors including clinician support, systems support such as coordinated appointment scheduling, an active volunteer program and targeted program promotion.

A recent survey conducted on patients attending the ONJ Wellness Centre showed that the patients who were accompanied to the Centre for their first visit were more comfortable about visiting the centre independently on repeated occasions.  Staff groups most likely to accompany patients to the Centre on the first visit were clinical trials nurses and volunteers.

The introduction of oncology massage and other complementary therapies into the ONJCWC wellness program illustrate the challenges presented when integrating a wellness approach with mainstream cancer care.

With the recent opening of the in-patient facilities in September 2013, the ONJCWC has become a fully functioning comprehensive cancer centre. The aim to integrate wellness into in-patient pathways now presents further challenges.