This has been an incredible collaboration to get vaccines into the arms of those in the communities we serve and now most of Southlake’s team will return to focus on providing hospital care.
As of July 1, 2021, Southlake Regional Health Centre (Southlake) will transition the management and operation of the Ray Twinney Vaccination Centre (Vaccination Centre) to York Region Public Health and the Town of Newmarket. The Southlake team, who have partnered with the Town of Newmarket and York Region Public Health, are humbled by the gratitude expressed by those in the communities we serve. Southlake was honoured to have worked with exceptional teams at the Town of Newmarket and York Region Public Health to successfully get vaccines into arms as quickly as possible.
“Throughout the pandemic Southlake’s Vaccination Steering Committee and many other amazing leaders from across the organization worked with our community partners to setup an Assessment Centre for testing, support local long-term care homes, and open the Ray Twinney Vaccination Centre. I could not be more grateful to our teams and our partners now that we are finally seeing light at the end of this tunnel as case numbers come down. Our priority at Southlake now is to get back to resuming surgeries and refocusing on our hospital services” says Arden Krystal, President and CEO, Southlake.
“On behalf of York Regional Council and The Regional Municipality of York, I thank our partners at Southlake for helping to lay the foundation for a strong and aggressive mass vaccination program and for their continued efforts in building a strong, caring and safe community for all,” said York Region Chairman and CEO Wayne Emmerson. “Responding to the COVID-19 global pandemic has required the expertise and cooperation of numerous community partners who have worked collaboratively to protect the health and well-being of York Region’s 1.2 million residents and ensure the safe and timely administration of COVID-19 vaccines.”
As soon as vaccines became available in December 2020, Southlake, the Town of Newmarket and York Region Public Health came together to open one of Ontario’s first mass vaccination centres. What started as each partner asking “how can I help?” turned into a national news story described as being, “the most Canadian idea” – using a local hockey arena as a space to provide vaccines. To date, the Vaccination Centre has provided nearly 163,000 vaccines and many other communities across the country have adopted this same arena approach.
“When we look back on the pandemic in the years to come, we will see the enormous role that the Southlake team has played, not only in caring for those with COVID-19, but preventing tens of thousands from getting ill. Thank you Southlake for keeping us safe and building healthier communities,” says Newmarket Mayor John Taylor. “Vaccination is key to keeping our community healthy, opening up our economy as wells as recreation programing, such as summer camps for kids. As Mayor, I encourage anyone who is able to get vaccinated to do so as soon as you can.”
As vaccine rates increase and the number of COVID-19 cases in ICUs across the province decrease, the Southlake team will head back to their hospital roles as we look to gradually resume services and refocus on hospital services.
Southlake worked closely with the Town of Newmarket and York Region Public Health to prepare for this handover to help to ensure a seamless transition for the communities we serve.
“York Region Public Health greatly values the long-standing partnership with Southlake in safeguarding the health and well-being of York Region residents,” said York Region Medical Officer of Health Dr. Karim Kurji. “Southlake paved the way for mass immunization sites in our Region and while their time as clinic host is concluding, the empathetic and high quality care provided to the thousands of residents who walked through the doors has made a lasting impact to the overall success of our vaccine program.”
There were countless Southlake frontline heroes who answered the call to provide vaccines, many who took on extra duties to help get doses into arms. The dedication and commitment to clinical excellence of these professionals contributed to the successful rollout.
