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Inside this edition:

  • Funding for infrastructure upgrades at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital
  • Staying ‘smart’ about improving the experiences of patients and providers
  • Blazing a trail with quicker, more accurate diagnoses for patients
  • Stay safe this fall: simple tips to reduce the spread of respiratory illnesses
  • Healthy school lunch tips from our registered dietitian

Funding for upgrades at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital

Mackenzie Health leadership and staff celebrate Hospital Infrastructure Renewal Fund (HIRF) funding with local MPPs Daisy Wai and Laura Smith at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital.

Mackenzie Health was thrilled to recently receive provincial funding of more than $660,000 to support critical improvements and repairs at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital as part of the Health Infrastructure Renewal Fund (HIRF). Learn more.

This investment will be used to improve the elevator and sprinkler system in the more than 60-year-old facility — crucial upgrades to ensure the safety and security of our patients and visitors.

We were pleased to host local York Region Members of Provincial Parliament (MPP), including Richmond Hill MPP Daisy Wai and Thornhill MPP Laura Smith, for an announcement at our Richmond Hill site last month.

Sustainable funding that directly supports infrastructure upgrades and maintenance at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital is essential to our two-hospital model of care. With a rapidly growing population in York Region and beyond, Mackenzie Health is always focused on upgrades and improvements to help meet the evolving needs of the patients we are privileged to serve.

We thank the Government of Ontario for this much needed support!

Staying ‘smart’ about improving the experiences of patients and providers

Mackenzie Health’s Jackie Samimi and Shanelle Referente are shown accepting KLAS awards.

By adopting and embracing smart technology, such as electronic health records (EHR), Mackenzie Health is both empowering patients with convenient access to their health details and making it much easier for health professionals to share crucial information.

Recently, the KLAS Research Arch Collaborative, which includes hundreds of health care organizations committed to improving experiences with EHRs, named Mackenzie Health a recipient of the KLAS Arch Collaborative Pinnacle of EHR Experience Award in the physician and nurse categories. The award recognizes organizations with the highest net EHR experience scores. Mackenzie Health earned one of the top satisfaction scores compared to our peers. Read more.

Mackenzie Health has significantly invested in technology to improve outcomes and experiences – and the results speak for themselves! Survey results show there is more satisfaction with using our EHR than all the other organizations examined and that we boast the highest satisfaction with our EHR’s ability to enable patient safety and efficiency while preventing mistakes. There’s no bigger priority than ensuring quality and safety in our care delivery.

This prestigious award underscores our dedication to excellence and innovation in health care technology—all in service of excellent patient care.

Blazing a trail with quicker, more accurate diagnoses for patients

Mackenzie Health President and CEO Altaf Stationwala speaks at the eighth annual Digital Pathology and Artificial Intelligence Conference at Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital.

Did you know Mackenzie Health is leading the way in digital pathology? This cutting-edge technology uses a high-resolution scanner to digitize glass slides containing tissue samples, converting them into high-quality images that can easily be shared with experts for quicker, more accurate diagnoses for our patients.

Since becoming the first hospital in Canada to fully digitalize pathology services for surgical cases in 2021, we’ve seen firsthand how this innovation speeds up diagnoses when every second counts, giving patients a faster path to healing. This transformative approach has empowered Mackenzie Health to keep pace with soaring demand across the province, including a 40 per cent increase in pathology cases at our hospitals.

However, we know that leadership also brings a responsibility to share what we’ve learned and teach others. That is why Mackenzie Health was honoured to be selected as the first international host of the eighth annual Digital Pathology and Artificial Intelligence Conference in September. Bringing more than 170 people to Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital, the conference featured industry learnings and emerging technology, with speakers including top experts from across North America. Mackenzie Health leaders presented on why we became an early adopter of digital pathology and the impact it has made for our patients.?Learn more.

Mackenzie Health is committed to harnessing the power of innovation to deliver the best care possible for our patients.

Stay safe this fall: simple tips to reduce the spread of respiratory illnesses

 

Staying up to date on your vaccinations is key to protecting yourself this fall.

Fall respiratory season seems to be arriving earlier this year and, with respiratory illnesses such as the common cold, flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and COVID-19 on the rise across Ontario, we need to work together to reduce the spread. Staying up to date on your vaccines, including flu shots and COVID-19 shots and boosters, remains a top way to protect yourself, your loved ones, and those who cannot get vaccinated such as very young infants and the immunocompromised.

Washing your hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol is key to removing or killing germs on your hands. Avoid biting your fingernails and always remember to cover your coughs and sneezes – using your elbow if a tissue isn’t available – and to stay home when you are feeling unwell.

At Mackenzie Health, we’re taking proactive action to prepare for an expected increase in patient volumes. We’re opening a unit at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital from mid-October to March to boost capacity. We’re also rolling out our annual respiratory illness prevention campaign, offering flu and COVID-19 vaccines to staff, physicians and volunteers. Masks will continue to be required in high-volume and high-risk areas including the Emergency Department, Urgent Care Centre, Chemotherapy Clinic and Dialysis units. These steps help us protect our community and keep our services running smoothly through the busy months ahead.

Healthy school lunch tips from one of our registered dietitians

Mackenzie Health Registered Dietitian Carly Herman.

As the school year settles in, finding healthy, kid-approved lunches that your children will actually enjoy can be a challenge. If you feel like you’re already running out of ideas, fear not!

We asked Carly, one of our Mackenzie Health registered dietitians, to share some simple tips to make this a little easier. One key suggestion? Get the kids involved! Let your child pick and help prepare their lunch to build a healthy relationship with food and encourage good choices.

Visit our Instagram page for more ideas to make this daily challenge a little easier.

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Please contact the Communications and Public Affairs department at: 
publicaffairs@mackenziehealth.ca

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For questions or concerns regarding care at Mackenzie Health, please contact Patient Relations at: patientrelations@mackenziehealth.ca.

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