About the Department
The Department of Family Medicine, Complex Continuing and Post-Acute Care at Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) encompasses family physicians, midwives and specialist post-acute providers across HHS. The portfolio also includes physician leadership for both Palliative Care and MAiD. There are upwards of 400 family physicians and 10 midwives that practice across the communities of Hamilton and West Lincoln. Our family physicians provide care within the Hamilton Family Health Team, the McMaster Family Health Team, various Community Health Centres, and community practices within the Greater Hamilton Health Network, including the Hamilton, Haldimand, and Niagara Northwest regions.
We provide active in-hospital acute and chronic care, as both community physicians and hospitalists at Juravinski Hospital, McMaster Children’s Hospital, West Lincoln Memorial Hospital, St. Peter’s Hospital and the Satellite Health Facility. Our physicians provide true “lifetime care” ranging from intra-partum and newborn to end of life care The Midwives under the Family Medical department at WLMH also support a very dynamic and progressive midwife program providing low risk obstetrical care and support for our pregnant patients at WLMH
Our in-patient programs at St. Peter’s Hospital a 253 bed hospital which includes Restorative Care and Medically Complex, Behavioural Health and a 60 bed Clinical Teaching Unit (CTU) in Palliative Care.
Our medical model is that of family physicians with enhanced skills in complex care who act as the MRP, supported by specialists in geriatrics, psychiatry and geriatric psychiatry. Our palliative care CTU is staffed by both family physicians (2) and an internist (1) who are all palliative care certificants.
West Lincoln Memorial Hospital is an acute care community-based hospital of 60 beds where all Family Physicians support Emergency, Anesthesia, Inpatient, Newborn and Family based Obstetrical care. The Family Physicians are supported by General Internists, Obstetricians and Surgeons. Our Satellite Health Facility provides support for patients who are awaiting Long Term Care placement. At the McMaster Healthy Newborn unit, our family physicians practice in an expanded scope of care for health newborns born at McMaster Children’s Hospital supporting inpatient care for over 2000 babies a year.
Our department has a strong presence within the McMaster Department of Family Medicine and many of our physicians are actively involved in the teaching of undergraduate medical students and Family Medicine residents. The full-time faculty are active members of the Department of Family Medicine, Complex Continuing and Post–Acute Care at HHS or the Department of Family Medicine at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton (SJHH). We have a collaborative community education forum with our academic partners and are actively partnered with the Greater Hamilton Health Network (GHHN) with whom we host monthly Primary Care Town Halls.
Visit our McMaster University Department page
Visit the Greater Hamilton Health Network website
About the Chief – Dr. Joan Bellaire
With over 30 years of experience, Dr. Joan Bellaire is a passionate and dedicated family physician who champions whole-patient care in both community and hospital settings. As the Chief of Family Medicine for Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) since 2023 and the Medical Director of West Lincoln Memorial Hospital (WLMH) since 2020, Dr. Bellaire is committed to advancing patient centered healthcare initiatives through collaboration with fellow physicians, hospital administrators, and community partners.
In her role as Chief of Family Medicine, Dr. Bellaire oversees a department of more than 400 credentialed family physicians and 10 midwives who provide care across the Greater Hamilton Health Network, including the Hamilton, Haldimand, and Niagara Northwest regions. She is responsible for overseeing, mentoring and supporting the physician Site Leads who support inpatient care at several facilities, including St. Peter’s Hospital, the McMaster Healthy Newborn Care Unit, West Lincoln Memorial Hospital, and Satellite Health Facility. She also plays a key role in supporting the quality of care for the Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) program at HHS.
Dr. Bellaire’s dynamic leadership style and strong advocacy for patients and their families who support them, ensure that quality improvement and change initiatives remain focused on patient centered care. Her extensive clinical and leadership experience equips her with a comprehensive understanding of patient’s needs, both in community settings and in acute and chronic hospital-based settings
As a practicing family physician at the Smithville Medical Centre Family Health Team, Dr Bellaire also provides comprehensive care for patients from birth to end of life, in addition to offering on-call and inpatient support at WLMH. She has over 25 years of experience in Emergency and Obstetrical care within WLMH and is a dedicated memberof the West Niagara Palliative Care Team, providing after-hours on-call services for palliative patients within the Niagara West region.
Dr. Bellaire’s involvement in various councils further underscores her commitment to quality healthcare. She is an active member of the Palliative Care Council and the HHS Seniors’ Care Council, offering her expertise to enhance care for vulnerable populations.
In the realm of education, Dr. Bellaire has held the position of Assistant Clinical Professor in Family Medicine at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University, since 2003. She has also supervised the training of many family medicine residents and medical students, helping to nurture the next generation of healthcare professionals.
Her leadership extends to significant community service initiatives within the Niagara Northwest subregion prior to her leadership roles within Hamilton Health Sciences. She served as the Niagara North West Subregion Clinical Lead for the Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant Local Health Integration Network (HNHB LHIN), where she led regional healthcare quality initiatives, collaborating closely with primary care providers and interprofessional teams. She also held the position as the Health Links Lead Physician for Niagara North West, providing clinical guidance for the development and implementation of support programs for complex healthcare patients within that area. In this capacity, she served as a vital liaison between the Hamilton Niagara Brant Haldimand Local Integrated Health Network and local family physicians, fostering collaboration to improve patient outcomes.