A Blueprint For The Future Of Smart Healthcare
Located in Vaughan, Ontario, Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital, part of Mackenzie Health, is Canada’s first smart hospital. The fully integrated facility is powered by IoT technology and smart systems that connect clinical and building systems to streamline operations and improve patient care. Through a 30-year public-private sector partnership (P3), Johnson Controls is responsible for ensuring the hospital’s long-term operational efficiency, leveraging digital solutions like its Metasys building controls and OpenBlue smart building platform to create a sustainable and cost-effective environment that ultimately frees up hospital teams to reinvest in patient care.
Johnson Controls recently released milestone results from the Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital partnership, establishing a benchmark in healthcare innovation and sustainability.
“We’ve seen incredible improvements in operational efficiency and the patient care experience since partnering with Johnson Controls,” said David Stolte, executive vice president, strategy and clinical support at Mackenzie Health. “These smart, connected systems and the insights they provide have helped us identify and correct potential energy faults faster and more accurately, reducing any negative impacts on our operations, especially in critical areas.”
The implementation of Johnson Controls smart solutions has produced substantial benefits for the hospital , including:
- Increased Efficiency: Johnson Controls equipment, systems and controls helped the facility reduce natural gas consumption by 44%, greenhouse gas emissions by 28%, and overall energy use by 19%. As a result, the hospital now operates with an energy intensity that is 33% more efficient than the local industry median for acute care hospitals.
- Resource Savings: By utilizing digital tools, the hospital has reduced the time it takes to complete preventive maintenance efforts by 600 hours per year, allowing the team to focus more on customer satisfaction and the patient experience.
- Optimized Operations: Using OpenBlue, the team identified several areas for optimization in the hospital, reducing the otherwise manual troubleshooting process by approximately 4,000 hours in just one year.
- Safety Improvements: With Johnson Controls smart safety systems in place, the hospital has gone over 1,500 days without a lost-time injury, earning recognition from the Ontario Ministry of Labour for its commitment to employee safety.
Johnson Controls solutions at Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital include continuous HVAC monitoring, real-time alerts on compliance variances, automated monthly energy reporting and fault identification, and lifecycle management and investment across the 30-year term. These solutions, along with water conservation, green roofs, and construction waste diversion, have helped the hospital achieve LEED Silver certification, underscoring its commitment to sustainability and operational excellence.
“With a clear vision for the future of healthcare, Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital has incorporated a variety of green measures aimed at creating more resilient, sustainable clinical facilities,” said John Fleming, vice president, global development for Johnson Controls in Canada. “OpenBlue technology and energy management systems throughout allow the hospital to operate efficiently and without wasted resources, which is critical in a high-demand environment like healthcare.”
The partnership ensures systems are continuously optimized, with Johnson Controls delivering ongoing energy savings, technology upgrades, and lifecycle investment. A dedicated on-site team provides immediate support, helping the hospital remain at the forefront of healthcare innovation. By the end of the P3 agreement term, the hospital is projected to operate as efficiently as the day it opened.