Mackenzie Health Insider: Getting closer to our two-hospital reality

Getting closer to our two-hospital reality

As we continue to experience high patient volumes this flu season, our dedicated staff and physicians are hard at work to provide the best care possible to everyone who walks through our doors at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital.

We’re also continuing to make progress on the construction of Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital and we were happy to host a tour of the construction site for Premier Ford, the Minister of Health and our local MPPs.

Surgical patients at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital are getting a sneak peek at some of the technology that will be used at Canada’s first smart hospital when it opens and we’re already getting positive feedback. 

And we know our doctors give their all to their patients, but did you know that they give back too?

These updates and more in this edition of the Insider.

Sharing our progress

The Mackenzie Health Senior Leadership Team welcomed Premier Doug Ford, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Christine Elliott, and local York Region Members of Provincial Parliament to tour the Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital site in December.

Building the first net new hospital in Ontario in over 30 years is no small feat and it takes a tremendous team effort. In December, we were excited to show off the progress we have made to the Premier of Ontario, Minister of Health and local York Region MPPs. The group saw the Vic De Zen Family Welcome Centre which will be the entry point for most patients and visitors as they arrive at Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital. The terrazzo flooring in the main lobby is installed and the main staircase is in place with final detail work to be completed soon. Our guests also toured the Magna Emergency where they visited one of the spaces near completion. 

While the Province of Ontario is investing $1.3 billion to cover 90 per cent of the construction costs of Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital, we rely on community support for the remaining 10 per cent. In addition to funding the community share of the construction costs, our generous donors also help fund the cost of technology and medical equipment that are necessary for a hospital to operate. Things like stretchers, MRIs and CT scanners are all vital to helping our nurses and physicians provide quality care to our patients. 

In January, Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital was featured as one of the top five things to look forward to in Vaughan. As we near the completion of construction and prepare to ensure a safe opening for everyone who will enter our doors, we look forward to sharing more of our progress with the community.

One of our hospital's senior leaders, Mary-Agnes Wilson, spoke to the CBC to share what we're doing at Mackenzie Health to alleviate the capacity pressures we are facing.

As we all know, we have one of the busiest emergency departments (EDs) in Ontario and we have continued to experience unprecedented patient volumes this flu season. Over the holidays, our ED team cared for an average of 380 to 400 patients each day and saw more than 500 patient visits on peak days.

We have also seen an increase of patients visiting our ED with concerns about the coronavirus. To date, we do not have any coronavirus cases at Mackenzie Health. In anticipation of flu season and the expected increase in the number of patient visits, we developed a number of solutions to help alleviate some of the pressures felt around the hospital.

We opened and staffed additional unfunded medical beds and introduced MackenzieHelps as a way to help those with complex care needs continue their care safely at home to help us treat more patients who need acute care. We also developed contingency and surge plans that allowed us to open additional beds in unconventional meeting spaces in the hospital.

We know this is not the experience we want to provide our patients, but we thank everyone in the community for their patience and understanding as our dedicated care teams do their utmost to ensure safe care for patients and families.

Preparing for our smart future

A patient in our surgery unit at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital tests MyCare bedside technology before it’s introduced at the new Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital.

A few months ago, we told you about an exciting patient bedside technology we were piloting in our surgery unit at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital in preparation for opening Canada’s first smart hospital. MyCare launched on January 14 in our surgery unit and has been providing a personalized health experience to more than 30 patients.

Patients have shared some helpful feedback and are already making use of some of the technology’s features – they’re learning about the medications they have been prescribed and watching educational videos to prepare for upcoming procedures. Piloting MyCare is just one of the ways we’re working to create a better patient and caregiver experience at both Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital and the future Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital.

Our physicians are donors, too

Dr. Steven Youssoufian, Chief and Medical Director of Mental Health, donates his time and resources to help reach our $250 million Ultimate campaign goal.

As both a donor and physician, Dr. Youssoufian feels a strong sense of responsibility towards Mackenzie Health. A deep dedication to enhancing mental health care for patients and their families is at the heart of his work. “If you have the opportunity to lead, you absolutely should,” says Dr. Youssoufian. As the Chief and Medical Director of Mental Health at Mackenzie Health, Dr. Youssoufian has been working tirelessly to establish Mackenzie Health as a leader in mental health care since joining the hospital in 2012. For Dr. Youssoufian, leadership also includes philanthropy.

“I give to make sure every patient receives the very best care in an environment that supports their recovery.” In addition to a financial contribution made to the Ultimate campaign, Dr. Youssoufian gives of his time to speak at fundraising events on behalf of Mackenzie Health Foundation. In November Dr. Youssoufian delivered heartfelt remarks to guests of Caruso: A Musical Tribute to Fabio Iannello, a local fundraiser which raised $30,000 in support of the new Mental Health Inpatient Unit.

Always leading by example, Dr. Youssoufian hopes his philanthropic efforts will encourage fellow physicians and staff to contribute to the growing Culture of Generosity at Mackenzie Health. “If community members see that people on the inside of Mackenzie Health are giving back, my hope is that it will inspire them to give as well.” 

It’s a new decade and to date we have raised more than $175 million toward our Ultimate campaign goal. Each day, we get closer to opening Canada’s first smart hospital. We can’t do it without you. We know our community isn’t afraid of a little healthy competition, so show off your support of Mackenzie Health by making a donation and claiming your spot on the Ultimate leaderboard. Join the leaderboard with an ultimate donation. Visit www.theultimatesuitsyou.ca.