History

Building the "original" Stonechurch Family Health Centre

In the early 1970's, when McMaster University Medical Centre (MUMC) was being built, two family practice teaching units (FPU) were established, at Henderson and MUMC hospitals. The goal was to deliver exemplary "general practitioner" care as well as teach physicians wishing to specialize in family medicine. Subsequently, two other family practice teaching units were established at Hamilton General and St. Joseph's Hospital, giving each of Hamilton's four hospitals a family medicine teaching unit.

Each of the four family practice teaching units in the city was "attached" to a hospital, and all were affiliated with the University Department of Family Medicine: Henderson FPU; MUMC FPU; First Place (for St. Joseph's); and Hamilton General FPU.

About 20 years later (early 1990's), when the Hamilton General Hospital was undergoing major renovations, and the Cancer Clinic was being built at the Henderson site, it was decided by Hamilton Civic Hospitals and the University Faculty of Health Sciences to move the two family practice teaching units out into the community. The move would also bring service to the community. The FPU located at Hamilton General relocated to John Street North as North Hamilton Community Health Centre, and the Henderson FPU relocated to the south mountain as Stonechurch Family Health Centre.