CORNWALL, Ontario – The Cornwall Community Hospital Foundation (CCHF) announced a first of its kind program for Eastern Ontario on Wednesday, Nov. 7.
In partnership with Queen’s University, CCHF is launching “Adopt a Medical Resident”, a program which will bring four licensed physicians to Cornwall between 2019 and 2021.
The partnership is a part of Queen’s Family Medicine-Emergency Medicine Residency Program. After each doctor is finished with their academic training, they will sign a contract to work in the Emergency Department at CCH for at least two years.
“We will be sponsoring one medical resident…a year, for the next three years, to take the Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine Residency Program with Queen’s; training six months at CCH, as well as Kingston Health Sciences (KHSC) and the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO),” said Amy Gillespie, Executive Director of CCHF.
Gillespie explained that over six years of cumulative care will be raised for the community through the program. The fundraising price tag to sustain the program will be $135,000 annually, and any additional funds raised will go towards equipment for the hospital.
The CCHF is hoping to raise the initial $135k by June 2019, as two residents will begin training in July 2019. In support of the program, the CCH will match donations in the first year of the program.
“The CCH is matching donor funds in year one, brining two residents to start at CCH in 2019,” said Gillespie.
“It’s a very unique endeavor and initiative taken by the CCH,” said Dr. Geoffrey Hodgetts of Queen’s Department of Family Medicine, Enhanced Skills Program Director.
Hodgetts said that the application process to the program is competitive and there are already 44 applicants interested in working in the community. He emphasized the high skill requirement to be admitted into the program.
Gillespie is thankful for the generous, continued support of CCHF initiatives within the community. She said that this holiday season, donations can be made towards bringing a new physician to the city.
“We will run this fundraising program again next November for our 2020 resident, and in November 2020 for our resident starting in 2021,” said Gillespie.
Gillespie said that she has already received a lot of positive feedback about the program.
