From left are Cornwall Mayor Justin Towndale, Dr. Julie Crevier and SDG Counties Warden Jamie MacDonald.
SDG COUNTIES, Ontario - The City of Cornwall and the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry (SDG Counties) are committed to improving health care access for residents through a partnership with Dr. Julie Crevier, a newly-practicing family physician in the region. This collaboration demonstrates the shared responsibility to address primary health care challenges and is another positive step forward to ensuring that everyone in the community has access to quality care.
“I am thankful to the City of Cornwall and SDG Counties for their support,” said Dr. Crevier. “This new agreement will allow me to care for vulnerable patients across the region as I complete my return-of-service in Cornwall and SDG Counties.”
Dr. Crevier, who lives in Alexandria, was awarded the Cornwall Medical Scholarship in 2020, which provided a $150,000 scholarship in exchange for a five-year return-of-service commitment in the region.
After completing studies, Dr. Crevier joined the Centre de santé communautaire d’Estrie (CSCE), a francophone community health centre offering services in Cornwall and SDG Counties. However, due to the regional service model of CSCE, which limited her practice to Cornwall, Dr. Crevier was unable to fully meet the terms of the original agreement.
To address health care challenges across the region, the City of Cornwall and SDG Counties worked together to amend Dr. Crevier’s return-of-service agreement. Under this new plan, Dr. Crevier will divide her practice evenly, spending 50 per cent of her time with Cornwall residents and 50 per cent with SDG Counties residents, helping more people in need of family health care.
"Access to family doctors is a challenge for many residents in Cornwall and SDG Counties, and remains a priority for us," said Cornwall Mayor Justin Towndale. "This partnership with SD&G is the first of its kind for us, and we are excited to have Dr. Crevier begin her practice in our area. We look forward to further opportunities to partner with our neighbours on medical recruitment."
“This new partnership between the City of Cornwall and SDG Counties represents a significant step forward in addressing the pressing need for medical professionals in our region,” said SDG Counties Warden Jamie MacDonald. “By pooling our resources and working collaboratively, we are creating a stronger foundation for medical recruitment, making it more attractive for doctors to set up their practices here. Together, we are committed to improving access to health care for our residents and ensuring our region remains a vibrant, welcoming community for both practitioners and patients. This partnership is a beacon of hope for a healthier future for all.”
This is the first time the City and SDG Counties have worked together on a shared medical agreement. As part of this new deal, the City will receive $75,000 from SDG Counties over the next five years to cover half of Dr. Crevier’s scholarship amount. This money will go into the Cornwall Medical Recruitment Reserve, helping bring more doctors to the area so families can get the care they need.
Anyone looking for a family physician should register online or over the phone at 1-800-445-1822 with Health Care Connect. Health Care Connect is the official registry for physicians and health care centres who are accepting new patients. Residents are also encouraged to use the Eastern Region Virtual Care Clinic to speak with a health care professional about minor health care concerns instead of visiting local Emergency Departments.