About Us
Here’s what we do at Seaway Valley Community Health Centre
Our Story
Seaway Valley Community Health Centre is a charitable, not-for-profit community-led organization. SVCHC targets issues impacting the local community’s health through health promotion and community development programs.
Who We Are
The journey began with a group of concerned and active citizens who identified the need for a Community Health Centre (CHC) in Cornwall and area. The original steering committee was formed in 2001; in 2005, Cornwall and Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry (SDG) Counties were awarded one of only twenty one new Centres across Ontario. After a lengthy process of planning, community engagement and staff recruitment, 2010 brought the fulfilment of a dream many years into the making. Seaway Valley Community Health Centre (SVCHC) became fully operational after its grand opening on September 24, 2010.
Seaway Valley Community Health Centre (SVCHC) is a charitable, not-for-profit, community-led organization created to provide primary health care, health promotion and community development services to residents of Cornwall and the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry counties. SVCHC is designed to address the issue of equity for citizens facing barriers to accessing the health care system. In our community, those facing access barriers to primary care include the general public who are without a family physician, low income individuals and families, seniors and new immigrants to Canada. The SVCHC professional team works closely with community health and social service partners in order to be linked with those non-medical services needed by clients. The Team consists of Physicians, Nurse-Practitioners, Nurses, Dietitians, a Social Worker, a Health Educator/Promoter, Community Health Workers, Pharmacist, Physio Therapist, Respiratory Therapist, Medical Secretaries and Administrative personnel, and it targets issues impacting the local community’s health through health promotion and community development programs.
What We Do
We provide a wide range of health and wellness services and programs to families and individual who live in the communities we serve. We deliver care in many ways: one-on-one, personal development groups and community initiatives. Services are offered in English; however, cultural interpretation is available. We believe that our collective efforts and partnerships with key agencies contributes to improving both individual and community health by identifying and addressing underlying conditions. We pay special attention to vulnerable groups including older adults, individuals and families living with low-incomes and newcomers to Canada, as well as those without access to primary health care services.
Mission
Together, we strengthen community wellbeing through accessible and inclusive care.
Vision
Equitable care empowering healthier, stronger communities for all.
Values
- Person-centered
We prioritize the needs, experiences, and well-being of every individual, ensuring our services reflect empathy, kindness, and respect. - Integrity
We act with honesty, transparency, and consistency, building trust through ethical practices in all we do. - Inclusive
We embrace diversity and foster a sense of belonging, ensuring everyone feels welcomed,
valued, and supported. - Collaborative
We build strong relationships within and beyond the community, believing that collective efforts achieve greater impact.
Our Model of Health & Wellbeing
SVCHC facilitates access to health care services and community supports, actively addressing the barriers people experience. Our interprofessional team works closely with organizational partners across the health system to link people with the full range of services they require.
IDEA Community Coalition
As a proud member of the IDEA Community Coalition, Seaway Valley Community Health Centre reaffirms our commitment to building a more inclusive, equitable, and just community.
Together with over 40 local organizations, we are taking meaningful action to break down systemic barriers and advance equity, diversity, inclusion, anti-oppression, and Truth and Reconciliation.
Accreditation
Seaway Valley Community Health Centre is proud to be accredited through the Canadian Centre for Accreditation, a third-party review based on accepted organizational practices that promote ongoing quality improvement and responsive, effective community services.
Accessibility Statement of Commitment
The Seaway Valley Community Health Centre (SVCHC) is committed to treating all people in a way that allows them to maintain their dignity and independence. We are committed to meeting the needs of people with disabilities in a timely manner, and will do so by preventing and removing barriers to accessibility and meeting accessibility requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005.
All employment services provided by SVCHC shall follow the principles of dignity, independence, integration and equal opportunity. SVCHC welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.
First People Acknowledgement & Commitment
We begin with a land acknowledgement statement to recognize the traditional territory of the Indigenous people who called the land home before the arrival of settlers. As a gesture, it demonstrates recognition of Indigenous lands, treaties and peoples and marks a small and important step in the process of reconciliation and building a positive relationship with Indigenous peoples.
We acknowledge that we work and stand on the traditional lands and recognize the enduring presence of the First People. We are grateful for the opportunity to live and work on this land.
We pledge to follow the principles of “Indigenous health in Indigenous hands – Nothing About Us Without Us”. We will follow the lead of our Indigenous neighbours and colleagues as they inform us on how our OHT can best serve them in a culturally sensitive and safe manner.
We will honour the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: “Indigenous peoples have the right to determine and develop priorities and strategies for exercising their right to development. In particular, Indigenous peoples have the right to be actively involved in developing and determining health, housing and other economic and social programs affecting them and, as far as possible, to administer such programs through their own institutions (The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People).