As thousands of people across Cornwall and the surrounding area continue searching for a family healthcare provider, one local organization is taking meaningful steps to improve access to care.
Founded in 2023 by Dr. Anthony Di Cintio and Nathalie Hickman, RN, the Elderhood Care Team was created to address the growing need for quality geriatric care to better serve elders in need. As demand for The Elderhood Care Team’s services continued to grow, the team quickly recognized a much broader community challenge: the increasing difficulty many individuals and families face in accessing timely, reliable primary care.
This realization became the catalyst for expanding their vision beyond specialized geriatric care and helping address the growing need for sustainable healthcare solutions for people of all ages.
In just three years, the organization has expanded from a two-person team into a multidisciplinary healthcare practice, leading to the launch of the McConnell Family Health Centre (MFHC) at the McConnell Medical Centre, 820 McConnell Avenue, Cornwall.
In the Header Photo is Dr. Anthony Di Cintio (centre), joined by family physicians, nurses, and administrative staff from the McConnell Family Health Centre.
Photo above: The McConnell Family Health Centre Ad before the McConnell Medical Centre Welcomes New Patients as Access to Primary Care Continues to Grow
Today, the MFHC is home to 10 healthcare professionals, with plans to nearly double its team by the end of 2026 and intentions to further grow by the end of 2028. This growth will allow the centre to provide comprehensive, community-based primary care to more than 10,000 residents, helping address one of the region’s most pressing healthcare needs. This expansion has been made possible through collaboration with the City of Cornwall, the Ontario Health Team, Seaway Valley Community Health Centre, Health Care Connect, and other local organizations committed to strengthening healthcare across the region. Residents looking for a family healthcare provider and the opportunity to become a patient of the MFHC are encouraged to register with Ontario’s Health Care Connect by calling 811 or registering online at ontario.ca/healthcareconnect. Health Care Connect matches eligible patients with available providers as new capacity becomes available, including future opportunities at the McConnell Family Health Centre. While the organization has grown significantly in a short time, Dr. Di Cintio believes this is only the beginning. Through continued collaboration and expansion of its interdisciplinary team, the McConnell Family Health Centre remains committed to delivering compassionate, accessible, and patient-centred care for the Cornwall community for decades to come.
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