Q&A: Some answers to questions you asked about Vaughan's new hospital

Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital officially opens Feb. 7

Yorkregion.com
Feb. 7, 2021
Dina Al-Shibeeb

The historic opening of Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital Feb. 7 doesn't look much like the original vision for the facility, but such is life in a global pandemic.

The first hospital opening in York Region in 30 years is timely in the fight against COVID-19.

The new hospital will offer critical care space for any further surge in COVID-19 cases and relieve any capacity pressures in other facilities, Altaf Stationwala, president and CEO of Mackenzie Health, said.

On Jan. 28, almost 16,000 residents from across Vaughan, Richmond Hill and King Township participated in a telephone town hall to inquire about the new hospital.

Here are some of the questions and answers:

Q: Is the emergency department going to be open?

A: No.

At this time in the pandemic, the hospital’s emergency department will not be open, Stationwala said.

"You can continue to receive emergency care at the Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital," he said.

Once the pandemic surge subsides, the new hospital will be open as intended, with its "emergency department and all the other problematic areas like mental health, women and child, pediatrics, and our integrated stroke unit".

Q: Does the new hospital have a helicopter pad?

A: No.

Patients will be transferred to trauma centres via land. This is the fastest way, Stationwala said.

Q: Will you be able to take the COVID-19 test at the new hospital?

A: No.

Stationwala said there is a possibility they might add a testing centre at the new hospital if there is any new demand.

Q: Will COVID-19 patients from Toronto and Peel be the ones who will be transferring to the new hospital first?

A: Any hospital experiencing surge in capacity will be able to send its patients.

Mary Agnes Wilson, executive vice-president, chief operating officer and chief nurse executive at Mackenzie Health, explained how there have been more than 600 patients who have been moved across the GTA and the central region to "accommodate surge-capacity at various hospitals who are experiencing difficulty".

Mackenzie Richmond Hill has been one of those hospitals.

"We have over 80 patients" moved from the Richmond Hill hospital to other hospitals nearby, she added.

Also, there is an agreement with the province that when the COVID-19 surge is no longer at crisis point, the new hospital will be the first to return patients to their home communities' hospitals.

Q: What’s the capacity planned for both ICU and medicine floors?

A: Total bed count for the new hospital is 360 for all programs.

For the Feb. 7 opening, the hospital has committed to the "opening of an additional 150 acute care medicine beds, and 35 intensive care unit beds".

"We will be transferring a small number of patients over from the Richmond Hill Hospital to the Cortellucci on Feb. 7, for many reasons," Wilson said. "One, because we need to decant some of the patients at the Richmond Hill Hospital, but also because we want to move our patients here with our staff, stabilize our operations, and get ourselves comfortable before we start accepting patients through the incident management system," Wilson said

Q: How do you respond to rumours that Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital will close eventually?

A: The rumours are incorrect.

"So both hospitals will stay open," Stationwala said. "Both will have emergency departments and core services to support our community. We need two full service hospitals."

Q: Is there going to be shared staff with Richmond Hill hospital?

A: Yes.

This has long been done before COVID-19, and will continue.

"As you know, we screen all of our staff before they come into the hospital every single day," Stationwala said.

Q: When COVID-19 is settled down, is there going to be a tour for people?

A: Yes. Once everything is deemed safer, after the pandemic.