As we reflect on the past year at Cornwall Community Hospital (CCH), we are proud of the progress made in delivering on our mission to provide exceptional, people-centred care.

This progress has included key investments in the tools, technology, and infrastructure needed to enhance access to care and meet the diverse needs of our communities. In addition, it has strengthened the resources available to our teams, supporting the delivery of safe, high-quality care.

Working alongside our hospital foundation, these investments have included a new Computed Tomography (CT) scanner to support advanced diagnostic imaging. New mobile x-ray units and cardiac monitors have also been introduced to enhance bedside care across the hospital.

We remain committed to ensuring that CCH is a financially sustainable, high-performing community hospital. Through careful planning, we continue to balance innovation and growth with responsible stewardship of public resources.

We are grateful to our staff, physicians, volunteers, caregivers, donors, and community partners for their ongoing commitment to CCH. These collaborative efforts are advancing our strategic priorities to deliver on our vision of Exceptional Care. Always.

Leading Innovative Transformation 

Our Vision:

Exceptional Care. Always.

our mission:

Our Team collaborates to provide exceptional people-centered care.

our icare values:

• Integrity: We will act with honesty and demonstrate strong moral principles
• Compassion: We will care for all people with empathy and kindness.
• Accountability: We will take responsibility for our words, our actions and our results.
• Respect: We will treat everyone with dignity and recognize the individuality and inherent value of all people.
• Engagement: We will create a trusting environment that encourages teamwork. 

our strategic directions:

Recovery:

• Enhancing access to care
• Committing to operational excellence
• Advancing innovation
• Maintaining a culture of quality and safety
• Establishing physical capacity

People:

• Inspired by patients and care partners
• Supporting the wellbeing of our people
• Engaging and cultivating a high performing team
• Building a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and embracing reconciliation
• Stewarding our environmental and social responsbilities

Integration:

• Creating sustainable models of care
• Supporting transitions in care
• Advancing collaborative partnerships
• Promoting health system integration 

Chair:

• Alice Wilson-Haramis

Vice-Chairs:

• Deborah Tropea
• Kristen MacDonell

Secretary:

• Jeanette Despatie

• Susan Atkinson
• M. Owais Aziz
• Debora M. Daigle
• Taj Dhinsa
• Josh Eamon
• Suzanne Farag
• Gerald Laneville
• Dale McSween
• Shawna Spowart

Appointed Directors:

• Chief of Staff: Dr. Anastasios Boubalos
• President of Medical Staff: Dr. Neil Davis
• Vice-President of Medical Staff: Dr. Olugbenga Dehinbo
• Auxiliary Board Chair: Jack Lindsay
• Chief Nursing Executive: Kelly Shaw 

CCH was formally designated a Level III Trauma Centre by Critical Care Services Ontario and the Regional Trauma Networks.

This designation certifies and strengthens CCH’s ability to provide high-quality care for patients with serious injuries, as well as stabilize and transfer those with more complex trauma to specialized centres when needed.

It also provides new tools to support care, including a dedicated trauma leadership team led by Medical Director and Emergency Physician Dr. Olivier Saleh, access to advanced training to keep staff current with best practices, and participation in the Ontario Trauma Registry to track outcomes and support ongoing improvement.

As part of Ontario’s coordinated trauma system, CCH is helping ensure patients receive the right care, at the right time, in the right place.

Beyond the hospital, the Trauma Team is strengthening community partnerships and leading injury prevention initiatives, including the launch of a “Stop the Bleed” program.

Left to right: Katie Renton, Trauma Clinical Coordinator; Dr. Olivier Saleh, Trauma Program Medical Director; Natalie Bourgeois, Director of Trauma Services; and Claire Ping Xia, Trauma Data Analyst.

CCH reached a major milestone in advancing diagnostic imaging with the installation and launch of a new, state-of-the-art CT scanner in December 2025.

Replacing a machine that had reached the end of its lifecycle, the new technology supports nearly 20,000 CT scans performed annually at CCH. It offers improved imaging accuracy, enhanced capabilities, and a better patient experience, helping ensure high-quality, uninterrupted care for the community.

During installation, Diagnostic Imaging services continued without disruption through a temporary on-site unit.

This investment strengthens CCH’s ability to provide safe, reliable diagnostic services close to home. More than 100,000 imaging exams are performed each year at CCH.

The project was made possible through the generous support of the Cornwall Community Hospital Foundation, including community donors and a $1 million estate gift from local sisters Rhoda and Minnie Bartle.

In 2025, CCH improved mental health care for children and youth by introducing a shared-care referral pathway between the Child and Youth Mental Health Services (CYMHS) team and Outpatient Mental Health psychiatrist, Dr. Nadina Abdullayeva, who joined the organization last year. 

This approach allows young patients and their families to meet with a psychiatrist alongside a familiar CYMHS clinician, with caregivers involved throughout. It helps create a more connected experience, reduces the need to navigate multiple services, and provides stronger support during difficult times. As care evolves, families are supported in transitioning back to their primary care provider, with a clear plan and a sense that their concerns have been fully heard and addressed. More recently, this pathway has been extended to include CYMHS core service partners, Laurencrest and Bien Ici, with whom CYMHS works closely as the Lead Agency in the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry.

This approach has further improved access to timely, in-person psychiatric care for youth with complex needs. Since introducing this approach, families report feeling more supported and having a better understanding of their child’s mental health. One youth’s experience highlights this impact. After struggling with severe anxiety that made it difficult to attend school or socialize, they gradually regained confidence through coordinated care. With support from both their therapist and psychiatrist, they returned to school and are now connecting with peers, an important step in their recovery.

 Pictured left to right: Psychiatrist and Chief of Psychiatry Dr. Nadina Abdullayeva; CYMHS Director Susie Trotter; CYMHS Masters Prepared Therapist Josee Belair; and CYMHS Addiction and Mental Health Therapist Sarah Derouchie.

Keeping Our Community Healthy Together: Your Donations at work in 2025-2026

On behalf of Cornwall Community Hospital Foundation’s Board of Directors and staff, we are proud to share the contributions our organization made to CCH during 2025-2026. With the support of donors past and present, our Foundation made significant investments in urgently needed medical equipment to benefit local patients and their families.

Thanks to the estate of Rhoda and Minnie Bartle, and donors across our community, CCHF provided more than $1.5 million toward the purchase of a new CT scanner for the hospital’s Diagnostic Imaging Department. Fully operational since December 2025, the new machine delivers state-of-the-art imaging offering faster response times, increased efficiency, and enhanced diagnosis capabilities. This major purchase continues our longstanding charitable legacy supporting the good health of our community.

In addition to our new CT machine, the following medical equipment and healthcare projects were purchased thanks to the generosity of our donors:

• Two mobile X-ray units
• 5 cardiac monitors for ICU patients
• Examination table for orthopedic patients
• Pediatric diagnostic equipment - Cornwall Kinsmen Club
• Self-help materials and program video for the Assault & Sexual Abuse program  
• Renovations to Youth Hub location
• New procedure chair for cataract surgeries - Cornwall Lions Club
• New technology for CCH’s Addictions and Mental Health Centre – Tamara van den Bergh Ferguson Charitable Foundation
• Peer Support Worker for mental health clients - Robert Marion Memorial Fund
• Final payment for fluoroscopy table

By the end of fiscal year 2025-2026, Cornwall Community Hospital Foundation had invested $2.3 million in essential medical equipment and impactful programming to strengthen local healthcare.

We greatly appreciate the donors, partners, and sponsors across our community who continue to support our charitable mission. Your generosity helps us fill the gaps where government funding stops.

For more information on CCHF’s programs, please visit www.cornwallhospitalfoundation.ca, or email amy.gillespie@cornwallhospital.ca.

Yours in gratitude,

Stephanie Nesbitt,
Board Chair, CCHF

Amy Gillespie,
Executive Director, CCHF.