Vaughan Healthcare Centre Precinct
A world-class destination for excellence in healthcare and health innovation.
In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the City of Vaughan is leading a collaboration to transform an 82-acre parcel of land at Jane Street and Major Mackenzie Drive into the Vaughan Healthcare Centre Precinct (VHCP). Together with partners Mackenzie Health, York University and ventureLAB, the City is developing a world-class destination for healthcare excellence on the lands surrounding the site of Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital – Canada’s first smart hospital. Collectively, the VHCP partners are collaborating to produce the next generation of healthcare practices, research, talent and technology.
The VHCP is emerging as a leading medical innovation hub, representing a collaboration between top educators, researchers, practitioners and innovators. As a destination of choice for leading healthcare institutions and health technology firms, Vaughan is at the frontier of the healthcare of the future.
The VHCP is undergoing rapid transformation, as it will be the future site of the York University School of Medicine and a state-of-the-art long-term care home.
The VHCP Partnership
City of Vaughan
Vaughan is one of the fastest-growing cities in Canada and an important driver of economic activity across the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario.
VHCP VISION:
Catalyze the precinct as a world-class destination for health innovation by supporting synergies between the hospital, long-term care home, medical school and MedTech accelerator, and attracting partnerships and investment to amplify the initiative’s economic and social impact.
Mackenzie Health
Mackenzie Health is a dynamic regional healthcare provider supporting residents across western York Region at Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital, Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital and a network of community-based locations and long-term care homes.
VHCP VISION:
Provide world-class healthcare, ensure capacity to meet the growing regional medical service needs and leverage local innovation and education ecosystems to develop industry-leading solutions for improving advanced medical care.
York University
York University is an internationally recognized and progressive teaching and research university with a strong foundation in health and health-related programs.
VHCP VISION:
Establish the York University School of Medicine with a focus on preparing a new generation of primary care physicians trained to use the latest best practices, research and technology.
ventureLAB
ventureLAB is Canada’s only lab and incubator for founders building hardware and semiconductor-focused products. ventureLAB’s initiatives have facilitated the creation of nearly 7,000 jobs and the investment of more than $420 million in supporting companies.
VHCP VISION:
Foster, grow and support leading start-ups and scale-ups in developing the next generation of MedTech solutions. Expand the Hardware Catalyst Initiative MedTech Lab to provide enterprises with access to world-class equipment, labs and advisory expertise.
Collaborative Goals
Translate research and innovation to policy and practice, improving the quality of healthcare and patient outcomes.
Research collaboration between Mackenzie Health clinicians and York University faculty from various health-related disciplines will generate new approaches to patient-centred acute care. This includes developing improved best practices for the prevention, management and rehabilitation of injuries, chronic conditions and post-surgical treatments based on the latest research and science.
Leverage data analytics, machine learning and smart technology to advance the efficiency and quality of healthcare in Vaughan and beyond.
Connect Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital’s smart technology infrastructure and systems with MedTech solutions developed by ventureLAB companies and York University’s data analytics and machine learning expertise to create new approaches that improve healthcare delivery.
Develop and commercialize innovative health technologies that transform the future of health and medicine.
Facilitate collaboration between clinicians, researchers and entrepreneurs to co-create and scale innovative health technologies developed with the input of stakeholders who represent the full spectrum of healthcare practice and delivery.
Prepare the health workforce of the future to respond to the challenges of a changing healthcare landscape.
Create experiential and integrated learning opportunities to train the next generation of primary care physicians and healthcare professionals to use modern, world-class practices and to be proficient with the latest healthcare technologies.
Project History
In October 2019 the City of Vaughan entered a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with York University, Mackenzie Health and ventureLAB to undertake a feasibility study to identify the best use of lands surrounding the site of the Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital, known as the Vaughan Health Centre Precinct (VCHP).
The consulting consortium for the VHCP Feasibility Study, comprised of UrbanMetrics, Sajecki Consulting, Strategy Corp., and the Lura Group, delivered the final draft of the study to the partnership, highlighting the potential economic and community benefits of a full build-out of the VHCP.
In May 2021, Mayor Bevilacqua issued a statement on behalf of Council welcoming York University’s plans to establish a School of Medicine in Vaughan. In June 2021, Council passed a Member’s Resolution supporting and endorsing the proposal.
Through continued partnership between the City of Vaughan and York University, Council has remained focused on enhancing healthcare services, research and innovation to support the healthcare needs of citizens in Vaughan and beyond.
On June 6, 2021, Cortellucci Vaughan opened as a full-service hospital, creating much-needed health care capacity for York Region and expanding access to care for the local community.
Cortellucci Vaughan is the first hospital to be built in the City of Vaughan, and the first net-new hospital to be built in Ontario in more than 30 years. CVH is also the first smart hospital in Canada, featuring fully integrated smart technology systems and medical devices that can speak directly to one another to maximize information exchange and enable improved patient care. Through modern and proven best practices, the hospital is providing state-of-the-art health care and positive outcomes for patients and their families.
On April 12, 2022, ventureLAB announced a $2.5 million investment from the Government of Ontario to establish a MedTech-specific stream within its Hardware Catalyst Initiative, Canada’s only lab and incubator for hardware and semiconductor companies.
Following the success of the Hardware Catalyst Initiative, ventureLAB will use the new funding to expand the HCI’s capacity and build a new MedTech-specific lab in Vaughan, complete with specialized equipment to facilitate the growth of Ontario-based MedTech companies.
The new MedTech incubator will be located within Vaughan-based Sterling Industries to benefit from its resources, product development and production expertise. As an end-to-end contract manufacturer and assembler of medical devices and components, Sterling Industries is a proven industry leader with manufacturing facilities and distribution channels in the U.S. and Europe. Sterling Industries will bring essential equipment, top technical talent, and industry-leading mentorship to the project.
On April 20, 2022, Mackenzie Health announced support from the provincial government to meet the needs of an aging population in York Region by building a new long-term care home adjacent to CHV.
The new Mackenzie Health Long-Term Care facility will create 256 new long-term care beds in Vaughan to meet the healthcare needs of seniors in the community. Building a new long-term care home in Vaughan on the lands adjacent to the Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital will help integrate the long-term care home into the broader health care system and ensure residents have access to the care they need. Construction is expected to start in Winter 2025.