Inside this edition:
- Introducing our Interim President and CEO
- Mackenzie Health joins collaboration on cancer care
- Expanding diagnostic imaging access for our patients
- Incredible results with patient safety
- Help us shape the future of care in this region
- Exciting upgrades at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital
- Sharing our digital health expertise
- Upcoming 'Mind Matters' panel
Introducing our Interim President and CEO
Mackenzie Health's outgoing President and CEO Altaf Stationwala and Interim President and CEO Mary-Agnes Wilson.
In case you missed it: Mackenzie Health President and CEO Altaf Stationwala announced late last month that he will be moving on to an exciting new opportunity as the next President and CEO of Unity Health, beginning on July 1.
We thank Altaf for more than 14 years of transformational leadership. His legacy will leave a lasting mark on our hospitals and community.
We are proud to announce that Mary-Agnes Wilson, who currently serves as Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Nursing Executive (CNE), will step into the role of Interim President and CEO.
Read more to learn more about the Interim CEO
Mackenzie Health joins Princess Margaret collaboration on cancer care
Mackenzie Health's Altaf Stationwala and Mary-Agnes Wilson are shown with Dr. Keith Stewart and Dr. Andrea Bezjak from the Princess Margaret Cancer Care Network.
Mackenzie Health has joined the Princess Margaret Cancer Care Network — a partnership of health care providers working to enhance access to high-quality cancer care close to home and expand resources and support for patients throughout their cancer journey.
For our patients, this collaboration offers access to clinical trials, cancer survivorship programs and enhanced education and resources in different languages, along with coaching for caregivers.
“Cancer care is evolving rapidly and this collaboration ensures that our patients benefit from the latest innovations, expertise, and resources — right here, close to home,” says Mackenzie Health President and CEO Altaf Stationwala. “It also helps strengthen the education and training of our incredible oncology team — helping us deliver the highest standard of care now and in the future.”
Our health care providers will benefit from customized educational materials, resources, courses and workshops to address our community’s growing needs. The partnership also allows us to collaborate and share knowledge with oncology colleagues.
With cancer cases rising across Canada, the need for high-quality cancer care has never been greater. Our oncology clinic has grown by 30 per cent in the past four years, now helping 80 to 100 patients every day with treatments, check-ups and support.
Mackenzie Health is the seventh hospital to join this network, alongside Stronach Regional Cancer Centre at Southlake Regional Health Centre, The Grand River Regional Cancer Program, Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services, Oak Valley Health, William Osler Health System and the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency.
We know that collaboration is key to unlocking solutions and driving progress in health care. By working together, we will continue to make a real difference in the fight against cancer. Learn more.
Expanding diagnostic imaging access for our patients — day or night!
Mackenzie Health is moving to 24/7 MRI and CT scan appointments.
Medical imaging is a crucial tool in modern health care that enables early detection of potential issues and more precise, effective treatments. Yet delays and wait times can be stressful and frustrating for patients and are not ideal for supporting the best possible outcomes.
That’s why, Mackenzie Health recently introduced a phased approach to offering 24/7 Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Computed Tomography (CT) scan appointments at both Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital and Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital.
With evening, overnight and weekend appointments, we are making it easier than ever for patients to access the diagnostic imaging they need, when they need it. It's all part of Mackenzie Health’s core commitment to provide timely, high-quality care.
Did you know Mackenzie Health performs more than 400,000 diagnostic imaging exams each year?
Check-in for patients takes just 20 seconds at a self-serve kiosk. This automatically alerts our Medical Imaging Department, reducing wait times and speeding up appointments. Patients can also access their finalized results instantly through the MyChart patient portal.
This exciting expansion will ensure our trusted, compassionate team is here for you – around the clock. Learn more about tests and X-rays at Mackenzie Health right here.
Transforming patient safety and sharing that story on the world stage
Press Ganey and Mackenzie Health team members connect at the 2025 HX25 Conference.
Preventable harm in hospitals and the high-stakes world of health care is a global challenge that requires a strong commitment to patient safety and constant improvement.
Over the past two years, Mackenzie Health has been on a mission to eliminate preventable safety incidents – what we call our ongoing journey to zero harm – by building a safety-first culture across our organization.
Since 2022, we’ve seen a:
- 78% reduction in serious safety events, meaning fewer patients experiencing preventable harm.
- 42% drop in patient complaints, reflecting better experiences and improved trust in our care.
- 34% increase in near-miss reporting rates, allowing us to proactively address potential risks before they lead to harm.
- 42% drop in patient complaints, reflecting better experiences.
Recently, Mackenzie Health was invited to share our journey to zero harm at Press Ganey’s Human Experience Conference, an annual gathering of thousands of professionals and industry leaders from the global health and technology sectors.
As the first Canadian speakers at this conference, Altaf Stationwala, Mackenzie Health President and CEO, and Mary-Agnes Wilson, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Nursing Executive, highlighted how we are using high reliability organizing (HRO) principles to make health care safer.
HRO is all about stopping mistakes before they happen by empowering everyone to speak up about potential risks and learning from past experiences. These strategies – the same ones used in high-risk industries such as nuclear power – help us provide the safest possible care, even in unpredictable situations.
Our commitment to improving care never stops and these results show what’s possible when accountability and continuous improvement are at the heart of our culture. We will continue to ensure every single employee is trained on these principles, reinforce learnings and celebrate wins to ensure our patients get the safest, highest quality care.
Your voice matters – help shape the future of health care in our region
Western York Region is growing at an incredible pace. By 2041, 251,000 more residents will call our community home. That’s a massive surge for our hospitals that are already stretched to their limits. We’re worried about the future and we know you are too.
In our recent community survey, 97% of you expressed serious concerns about the future of health care while 70% don’t believe our community is ready to meet these challenges.
Planning must start now to meet our community’s growing needs but we can’t do it alone.
We know what matters most to you:
- Shorter emergency and surgery wait times
- Better access to tests, specialists and family doctors
- Upgraded and expanded hospital facilities
Mackenzie Health is ready to lead but we can’t do it without you. The voices of the communities we serve are essential to shaping the future of care in Richmond Hill, Vaughan, King and beyond.
That’s why we’re inviting you to become a Care Champion. Help us plan for the future by taking our survey, signing up for updates and sharing your story to raise awareness about why better health care matters so that we can drive change together. Visit MackenzieHealthCares.ca for more details.
Exciting upgrades in progress at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital
It’s an exciting time at Mackenzie Health as we work to transform our sites to better serve our community.
Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital has served the community for more than 60 years, and we remain dedicated to continually modernizing our facility to ensure exceptional care. We’re more than halfway through a 15-phase corridor refresh project — with upgraded flooring, new handrails, refreshed walls and improved wayfinding for patients and visitors. In the Emergency Department, we’re enhancing safety and security to better support those with behavioural mental health challenges.
We’re also more than one-third of the way through a project to replace the hospital’s emergency generator, set to finish by June 2026, which will provide backup power during outages and ensure critical equipment and systems keep running. Additionally, repairs to our C-wing entrance will resume this summer, alongside upgrades to all main entrances to give our patients a better experience when they enter our doors.
We thank our patients for their patience during closures and detours as we bring these upgrades to life. These changes will help create a smoother, more comfortable experience for everyone who walks through our doors.
Mackenzie Health is proud to be the heart of health care for the booming communities of Richmond Hill, Vaughan, King and beyond, and we know we need to stay ahead of the curve to meet the growing needs of patients in these communities.
Hearing directly from our community is essential. Don’t miss your opportunity to take a quick survey to help us better understand how to serve you, now and in the future. Many have already shared concerns about our community’s ability to meet growing health care needs. This type of vital feedback is essential for our future planning.
Mackenzie Health extends digital health expertise to Casey House
Mackenzie Health and Casey House staff celebrate the new partnership.
Mackenzie Health is proud to partner with Casey House, a specialty hospital in Toronto supporting individuals living with HIV and those at risk of contracting it, to bring the power of digital health to their organization.
Through this partnership, Casey House will adopt Mackenzie Health’s advanced Epic Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system to improve care, streamline access to information and enhance decision-making for health care teams. Our leadership in this space reflects our commitment to improving patient care across the health system – something that benefits our community and beyond.
Since becoming the first Canadian hospital to fully implement Epic in 2017, Mackenzie Health has led the way in digital health, earning top recognition for secure, efficient and user-friendly technology. Now, that expertise is being shared with Casey House to support its mission.
With Epic, Casey House’s clinical teams now have real-time access to patient information, enabling more timely, accurate care. Patients will also gain access to their own health records, empowering them to stay informed and engaged. Additionally, advanced tools will support doctors and nurses in making more precise decisions.
Leaders from both organizations see this as a major step forward in improving services. By working together, Mackenzie Health and Casey House are demonstrating how partnerships can enhance patient experiences and outcomes.
Learn more about this transformative collaboration.
Join us for a ‘Mind Matters’ panel on navigating mental health and wellness
Don’t miss an inspiring evening of insight and support as experts from Mackenzie Health and York University host a free panel discussion on mental health and wellness at Vaughan City Hall on Tuesday, April 22. Discover pathways to resilience and hope, learn new strategies for navigating life’s challenges and connect with local organizations offering mental health resources and community supports. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and enjoy light refreshments.
The event will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Vaughan Room (1st floor) of Vaughan City Hall at 2141 Major Mackenzie Dr. No registration is required! Visit the York University event calendar for more info.