Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital: 2018 Year in Review
It’s hard to imagine that just over two years ago, our intersection of Jane and Major Mackenzie was little more than an empty plot of land. Now, Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital stands tall at this lively crossroad, directly in the heart of the City of Vaughan. As a symbol of healthier and growing communities, Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital is also an exciting reminder of the incredible things that can be achieved by partnering with our community. Together, we’re united in bringing world-class care close to home.
2018 has been an exciting year. We’ve reached new heights, celebrated major construction milestones and watched with you as Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital took shape, hundreds of feet in the air. Here are some of our biggest moments in time:
A year of growth, transformation and new beginnings
Construction of Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital is on schedule and patients and families have much to look forward to with specialized services for residents of Vaughan, Richmond Hill and King, and indeed across York Region, designed with the patient experience at the forefront. Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital will be Canada’s first “smart” hospital – equipped with state-of-the-art technology and medical devices to support smooth, coordinated care for patients and families.
Just this month, we hit yet another major milestone on our mission to a two-hospital future – completing the design of Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital. Designing a hospital is no small task. Designs must support safe and efficient health care delivery and be informed by many stakeholders – including staff, physicians, volunteers, patients and families – to create a health care environment where everyone thrives.
Patient-centred hospital designs support our vision of a world-class health experience everywhere – including patient areas, treatment rooms, outdoor courtyards, waiting areas and more. It helps inform decisions around spaces for equipment and technology, right down to small but equally important details such as where electrical outlets are located. In total, hundreds of people and more than 32 design teams provided critical input to get us to where we are today.
Further, our smart hospital vision is already off to an incredible start – in November 2018, Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital became the first Canadian acute-care hospital to receive Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM) Stage 7 certification. This level of certification signifies that Mackenzie Health has fully-implemented a paperless environment through Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and digital health solutions that benefit the patient experience and care delivery. This technology will also be rolled out at the future Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital.
The new hospital, which is 1.2 million sq. ft. and 11 stories high, will complement the care already provided at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital. From mental health and stroke, to woman and child, modular washrooms and so much more, read more about level-by-level updates in our recent Construction Updates.
Thousands of people, in many various and impactful ways from construction to fundraising, have helped advance this important work. There is much to celebrate from the past year, including:
- Inspirational generosity of our community: Through the transformative gifts and countless events involving thousands of caring individuals and businesses, we are nearly half way to achieving our bold $250-million Exceptional Care Belongs Here campaign goal, with $116 million raised to-date. More than 31 donors have made transformational gifts of $1 million or more. At the recent Mackenzie Health Foundation gala, the live auction featured an equipment appeal which raised over $66,000 to help purchase six mobile telemetry units with central monitoring systems which supports patients who require constant monitoring in our Emergency Department today at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital. This supports 1,000 – 1,200 patients each month, and growing. It also helps ensure front-line emergency staff have the life-saving tools they need to provide the best possible care.
- Funding life-changing technology: The charitable support from our community to date has already helped Mackenzie Health to fund a number of innovation initiatives. This year alone, the hospital was able to fund chemotherapy exam tables, replacement CT scanner, new MRI, nursing education and the Mental Health program including the RBC Urgent Care Child and Adolescent Mental Health Clinic from donations we have received.
- Largest gift in Mackenzie Health’s history: An extraordinary $20-million gift from the De Gasperis and Kohn families is directed to building and equipping Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital and naming the Giovanni De Gasperis ♦ Eugene Kohn Learning Centre which will be the most technologically advanced education facility within a Canadian community hospital.
Topping off Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital (October 2018)
Reaching the highest point of construction is a moment that our community will remember for years to come. Together alongside community leaders, we poured one of the final concrete slabs at the top of Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital with thousands of signed tokens in the concrete. These tokens were signed by members of York Region’s community – donors, hospital staff, physicians, and representatives from government – in a shared commitment to building a healthier future for patients and families.
Joined by the Honourable Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Long-Term Care; Stephen Lecce, MPP for King-Vaughan, Parliamentary Assistant to the Premier and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Infrastructure; the Honourable Michael Tibollo, MPP Vaughan-Woodbridge, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport; and the Honourable Maurizio Bevilacqua, Mayor of Vaughan, we celebrated getting closer to opening our doors in late 2020 and improving access to health care in York Region.
Read more about the topping off event and in our recent press release
A healthier future for Vaughan, Richmond Hill and King
Our history of transforming and improving health care for our community dates back to the very reason we first opened our doors in Richmond Hill in 1963 as York Central Hospital. Then, the 126-bed hospital was essential to care for our community of nearly 25,000.
Fast forward 55 years to today, Mackenzie Health proudly cares for more than 500,000 people in Vaughan, Richmond Hill and King – and our community is expected to increase by 25 per cent between 2012-2027. To provide the best quality care and services for all patients, we must grow. Together, two full-service hospitals in addition to community-based locations will deliver more efficient and exceptional patient care.
We look forward to celebrating with you all that 2019 has in store.