Mackenzie Health Insider: Two hospitals, one exceptional health care vision

Two hospitals, one exceptional health care vision

Every day is one day closer to our two-hospital future and giving patients and families the best possible care at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital and the new Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital, scheduled to open in late 2020. The result: two full-service hospitals that will care for our growing community when they need us most.

Technology enhancements continue to be an important part of Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital, which cares for patients in southwest York Region.

Health care programs at each hospital

Residents of Vaughan, Richmond Hill, King and surrounding areas will have access to core services such as emergency, critical care, surgery, medical, laboratory, medical imaging and pharmacy at both Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital and Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital. Other programs and services will be distributed between the two hospitals: chronic kidney disease, rehabilitation and complex continuing care at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital, and the integrated stroke unit, pediatrics, obstetrics and mental health programs at Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital. This model supports the needs of our growing community while also focusing speciality areas together for best practice in care delivery.

Over the past few months, clinical staff have toured Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital to help with planning for various programs and departments located at each hospital. Pictured above is the Emergency Department Team touring part of the new space.

As progress at Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital continues, we’re also planning for Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital. The program and service distribution plan between the two hospitals gives us the opportunity to repurpose space at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital for ambulatory care to align with our mandate, optimize capacity and ensure the best possible patient care. Ultimately, every decision will be made with the needs of our growing communities in mind.

Caring for our littlest patients

Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital (left) continues to take shape, inside and out. The labour and delivery rooms (right) were designed with the patient experience at the forefront, providing a generous family space, television, washroom, sofa bed and large windows. The headwalls are now in place and birthing lights are currently being installed in the ceilings.

The volume of patients we see in our Woman and Child program, currently at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital, has demonstrated first-hand how quickly our communities are growing and the joy that comes from celebrating some of life’s most precious moments. Our communities of Vaughan, Richmond Hill and King are expected to grow by 35 per cent over the next 20 years and the number of women and children seeking exceptional care close to home will continue to grow along with our communities.

When it opens, Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital will house the Woman and Child program. To help meet our community’s increasing needs, our new birthing centre will be equipped for close to 4,000 births a year compared to our current volume of 2,700. Currently, the labour, delivery, recovery and postpartum (LDRP) rooms are the furthest along with construction and have drywall up with first and second coats of paint on the walls in patient rooms. Ceilings are underway and flooring – a seamless resilient sheet flooring in varying neutral shades – is also complete. The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is also making great progress in construction, with drywall up and the first coat of paint on the walls. Medical gas installation is underway in the antenatal and pediatrics departments.

Located on the fourth floor and accessible by a dedicated elevator on the West side of the hospital, the Woman and Child program is modelled on research that shows the benefits of labouring, delivering, recovering and receiving postpartum care in the same space and with the support of the same health care team — comprised of leading obstetricians, nurses, midwives and other health care professionals. Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital will feature 22 LDRP rooms. It will also feature 16 antepartum/postpartum private rooms for longer-stay postpartum moms and babies, including those who need hospitalization prior to delivery.

Each LDRP room will have a generous family space, television, sofa bed and large windows to welcome natural light. They will also include a sleeper sofa, a large private washroom with a shower or hydrotherapy tub and cabinetry to keep equipment safe and accessible.

Last year, 2,700 babies were born at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital. When the Woman and Child program moves to Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital, labour, delivery, postpartum and recovery will all be located in one room to support the physical and emotional needs of mothers and their newborns.

Exceptional Care Belongs Here

To date, Mackenzie Health Foundation has raised $162 million towards our $250 million campaign goal to build and equip Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital and enhance care at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital. The $250 million represents the community share of the overall $1.6 billion project. Thank you to our generous community! Together, we will reach our goal and ensure our communities have the ultimate in health care, right here.