Continuing to deliver the ultimate in care
In the next few weeks, we’ll mark an important milestone when construction of Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital will be substantially complete. But just because work on the building will be nearly done, it doesn’t mean there won’t be more work to do. As we anticipate our transition from constructing the building to now turning the building into a fully functional hospital, our teams are already preparing for the work ahead to get ready to safely welcome patients when the hospital opens in early 2021.
Our two hospitals will feature specialized care programs located at each hospital offering a comprehensive range of services. Specialty programs like the York Region District Stroke Centre will make their home at Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital. Our award-winning stroke team is beginning preparations to train staff and ensure all equipment is operating as it should all while continuing to provide the ultimate in care to stroke patients across York Region. And they continue to be recognized for it – they recently received another award from the Canadian College of Health Leaders!
All this and more in this edition of the Insider.
Providing award-winning stroke care to patients
A patient room in the Sorbara District Stroke Centre at Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital.
This summer, the York Region District Stroke Centre team, currently located at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital, was recognized once again for using health information and technology to improve the way we deliver care to stroke patients. In 2019, the team was a recipient of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Nicholas E. Davies Award of Excellence, and this June they received the 3M Health Care Quality Team Award from the Canadian College of Health Leaders.
When a person is having a stroke, every second makes a difference in their survival and recovery. The faster a patient is administered clot-busting medication tPA, the better their chances of recovery. As a District Stroke Centre, Mackenzie Health provides emergency stroke care to our region and, as part of their work, our teams administer this life-saving medication ten per cent faster than the provincial target. Once they have received emergency care, patients need specialized care to maximize their outcomes. Stroke recovery care is best provided on an integrated stroke unit, where acute medical care and rehabilitative care is delivered concurrently.
When the Sorbara District Stroke Centre opens at Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital in early 2021, it will boast 36 beds, a rehab gym, an outdoor walking track, dining and activity rooms and an independent living suite. This independent living suite will be new to Mackenzie Health and will allow patients to practice some of the activities they would need to master in their daily lives at home before leaving the hospital. This includes doing the laundry, making meals or washing the dishes, while they’re under the careful supervision of the stroke team. This way, they’re as prepared as they can be to safely function at home once they’re discharged from hospital.
Made possible by a $5 million donation from the Sorbara family, construction is now complete on the Sorbara District Stroke Centre. Equipment has been installed and only minor deficiency work remains before it opens early next year and is ready to seamlessly provide acute and rehabilitative stroke care to patients across York Region.
Hear from our collaborative team of experts as they describe how our team is improving the lives of patients across our region.
Green spaces nearing completion at Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital
Landscaping features like plants and trees in front of the Birthing Entrance (left) and a green roof on the Central Utility Plant (right) at Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital are almost complete.
The availability of green space at Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital is just one of the features that will make our second hospital unique. We all know that having access to natural light and the outdoors helps a patient’s healing and recovery, and there will be an abundance of both once Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital opens early next year.
Features like the three public outdoor courtyards, terraced gardens, green roofs covered with plants and trees and access to walking and biking trails will be nearing completion this month. Benches and patio furniture in seating areas have already been installed and trees have been planted throughout the site.
Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital was designed in a way that incorporates views of the outdoors and green spaces to enhance the patient experience and provide families a place to visit and connect with their loved ones.