Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital delivers as a system solution to fight COVID-19

Municipalinfonet.com
Feb. 7, 2021

The following statement was issued by Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua to mark the official opening of the Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital:

“Today, the Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital opened its doors, marking the arrival of a new era of healthcare excellence in our city. Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital has opened initially with an exclusive focus on supporting the current surge in critical and acute care volumes in the healthcare system, and I couldn’t be prouder that our community of Vaughan is able to step up in this way. It is important to note that the Emergency Department will be closed at this time. In addition to being the first hospital in Vaughan, the Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital is also the first newly built hospital in Ontario in more than 30 years. Bringing a hospital to Vaughan was one of my greatest dreams as mayor, and it gives me and my community great joy to know this dream is now a reality.

“Long before the world had ever heard of COVID-19, the City of Vaughan began preparing for a future with healthcare at the heart of city-building. The world-class facility is a manifestation of the compassion, hard work, and dedication shown by our citizens. As Chair of Mackenzie Health Foundation's $250-million Ultimate Campaign, I am proud to announce that, to date, more than $180 million has been raised toward reaching our goal. I remain grateful to our generous donors for their unwavering support of this unprecedented city-building initiative.

“When people ask why it took so long for Vaughan -- one of Canada’s fastest growing and most diverse cities -- to open its own hospital, I tell them patience is a virtue. Today, we can say that Vaughan is home to Canada's first smart technology hospital.

“The Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital is a first-of-its-kind institution that features fully integrated smart technology systems and medical devices that can speak directly to one another to maximize patient care. The 1.2-million-square-foot facility is on track to generate more than 1,000 jobs in the community. It has been built with a flexible design to allow for adaptation over time as new technologies and industry standards emerge.

“But before it fulfills its ultimate destiny, the Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital is helping to relieve pressures on hospitals across the province due to rapidly increasing COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU occupancy rates. I believe that our purpose in life is to improve the human condition. The Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital will play a significant role in reducing the surmounting stress on the provincial healthcare system and addressing the capacity issues that threaten the health and well-being of our communities. We are putting words into action to demonstrate that we are, in fact, all in this together.

“Currently, the hospital is opening a total of 185 beds, including 35 critical care beds and 150 general medicine beds, to provide relief to the hospitals facing capacity pressures due to the pandemic. At this time, the Emergency Department at the Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital is closed. The Emergency Department at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital remains open to support our community. Once COVID-19 capacity pressures have stabilized, the Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital will fully open as planned to provide care and services to patients from across York Region, offering emergency and modern surgical services, advanced diagnostic imaging capabilities, specialized ambulatory clinics and intensive care beds, medicine, birthing, pediatrics and mental health services, as well as the York Region District Stroke Centre. In every sense, it truly is a world-class facility, and the remarkable innovations in technology are what make Vaughan's hospital stand apart from the rest.

“Patience, discipline, and perseverance are essential to defeat COVID-19. In this journey, we must continue to share a common purpose and pool our resources together, and this is precisely what we are doing in Vaughan. We remain committed to working closely with the Province of Ontario, public health officials and all citizens to stop the spread, save lives, and protect our hospitals' capacity. And while this journey may be long, by being ready, resilient, and resourceful, and taking the right steps, we will get through this stronger, together.

“Hospitals are magnets for innovation, education and investment that can lead to the transformation of a community. Providing accessible, world-class care for all citizens is among our top priorities. As home to the Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital, Vaughan is emerging as an epicentre of healthcare excellence in Canada.”