Cortellucci family honoured for $40M donation to Vaughan hospital

Facility now named the Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital

Yorkregion.com
June 19, 2020
Dina Al-Shibeeb

Individually-wrapped cookies were distributed at Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital on June 16, featuring the hospital's new name: the Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital.

The new name was to honour the Cortellucci family after their generous donation of $40 million, which took place at a gala last year that was attended by at least 900 people, including Premier Doug Ford.

The announcement of the hospital’s name change to honour the Cortellucci family has garnered support from big names, including Ford (once again), the entire Mackenzie Health leadership, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Christine Elliott, Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua and MPP for Vaughan-Woodbridge Michael Tibollo.

The Cortelluccis' donation --the largest single donation in Mackenzie Health’s history --is one of a string of large donations from them, including a $2-million gift in 2006 from Nick and Rosanne Cortellucci to the emergency department at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital, which has also been named in their honour. In recent years, the Cortellucci family has also supported Hospice Vaughan and Niagara University Vaughan.

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Mackenzie Health president and CEO Altaf Stationwala said the name change comes after consulting with stakeholders, citing how the values espoused by the Cortelluccis align with those of the hospital: “their generosity and what it means to support humanity,” he said.

But with rebranding comes some hefty costs. For example, in 2012, there was some community uproar when York Central Hospital was rebranded to Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital, incurring a price tag of $200,000 to $300,000.

Stationwala, however, explained how this is different, since the corporate name is still Mackenzie Health. In addition, it was always contemplated that corporate sites would have the opportunity for sponsorship naming rights, he said.

“The logo will remain the same,” he added. “The only thing that is new is the hospital name.” No signage has gone up yet at the new site, which Stationwala says is “perfect timing.”

$177 million has been raised out of the $250-million goal so far, in what’s being called the “largest fundraising drive ever led by a community hospital in Canada.”

But some might point to how it’s the majority $1.3-billion investment that’s coming from the provincial government to build what’s being touted as Canada’s first smart hospital and the first hospital built in York Region in the last 30 years.

Ex-hospital board chair Tony Genco, who was involved with rebranding more than a decade ago, said this move isn’t unprecedented.

In 2015, Toronto East General became the Michael Garron Hospital after the latter's family donated $50 million.

“That was the first time I ever heard of a hospital being named after an individual,” Genco said. “The new standard in terms of having had the precedent was Michael Garron. It's great. That kind of philanthropy can be attractive to giving back to the community --it’s quite nice.”

Speaking as a “community resident,” Genco said, “it isn’t simply naming for the sake of a naming.”

“You could effectively call it a sponsorship or connection ... there's a contribution that's being recognized, appreciated and respected.”

Do you really need to name everything? Just to discover later that the patron did something bad and name has to be changed? Just leave it unnamed, city of Vaughan hospital.

 

Naming cities or edifices after families or individuals comes with risks, including the potential fallout if their namesake is involved in activities deemed unethical. In 2018, Bevilacqua had an integrity complaint filed against him for endorsing Italian senate hopeful Mario Cortellucci.

While the seat in the Italian senate is used to give a voice to the Italian diaspora, the coalition of parties Cortellucci was partaking in was described as "extreme right, ultra-nationalist." The coalition at the time promised to close Italian mosques and remove hundreds of thousands of migrants from the country.

But Genco defends the decision, saying it’s “free democracy” and that Mario Cortellucci didn’t violate any laws.

“Yes, I know that Mr. Cortellucci had some ambition with respect to, you know, being a representative of North America,” he said, but “I would separate the political aspect from philanthropy.”

“If he was to run again or if someone wanted to run with the Cortellucci name, I would listen to what they have to say and cast my judgment,” he added, describing Mario as a “good philanthropist.”

Mayor Bevilacqua, meanwhile, lent his full support to the Cortellucci family, who he described as “philanthropic leaders," stating that “Vaughan’s first-ever hospital will stand as a testament to their inspiring legacy of unwavering public service.”

“Today, I joined Premier Doug Ford and other dignitaries to acknowledge another milestone in our health-care journey at the official naming ceremony of the Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital,” Bevilacqua said. “Like many men and women who immigrated to Canada, the Cortellucci family have spent their lives giving back, helping all people, especially our most vulnerable citizens. Their exceptional generosity and support for the Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital is an example of what we can achieve when we work together.”

From their side, the Cortellucci family said they are “humbled to play a small part in contributing to the creation of a first-of-its-kind smart hospital in Canada, which we hope will benefit Vaughan citizens for many years to come.”

“Having called Vaughan home for the last 25 years, our family feels profoundly grateful to be in a position to give back to our community,” said the family.