Welcome to ConnextCare

In December 2021, Celeste Carnes, Nurse Practitioner, celebrated 30 years of service at ConnextCare, formerly Northern Oswego County Health Services, Inc. (NOCHSI).

Celeste began her career at NOCHSI in 1991 as a Registered Nurse at the Pulaski office. As a life-long resident of Oswego County, she wanted the chance to work in the community where she was raised. At the time, NOCHSI administration agreed to sponsor her through the Community General Nurse Practitioner Program, which, along with Onondaga Community College, is where she went to school to get her degree as a nurse practitioner.

ConnextCare awards scholarship and grant funds in memory of Kathleen A. Ellis, the first Nurse Practitioner in New York State. Ellis was well known in Oswego County. She worked at NOCHSI, now ConnextCare, the Pulaski Health Center, and spent four years working at NOCHSI’s Mexico facility. The community mourned when Ellis lost her battle with cancer and passed away in December 1996 at the age of 52.

The Kathy A. Ellis Scholarship and Grant Funds are awarded to individuals entering a program or continuing their education in the field of nursing. In order to qualify to apply, the candidate must be enrolled or have been accepted into an accredited licensed practical nursing, registered nursing, or nurse practitioner program.

ConnextCare is a Federally Qualified Health Center currently operating 6 health centers and 7 School Based Health Centers throughout Oswego County offering primary care, mental health and dental services. This expansion to Central Square supports ConnextCare’s ongoing mission to provide accessible, comprehensive and premier health care to Oswego County residents and surrounding communities. Tricia Peter-Clark, President and CEO of ConnextCare stated, “We are excited to announce the establishment of a ConnextCare health center on this side of the county. The addition of the Central Square practice further strengthens our ability to deliver high quality health services to new and existing patients at a location that is most convenient for them. We will now be more “connexted” than ever before, with our network spanning across the entire county, providing a medical home for more than the 27,000 patients we already serve today!”

ConnextCare Receives NCQA Recognition for Distinction in Behavioral Health Integration

ConnextCare has recently been recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for Distinction in Behavioral Health Integration. The NCQA is a private, non-profit organization that strives to improve the quality of health care. The NCQA Distinction in Behavioral Health Integration is awarded to NCQA-recognized Patient-Centered Medical Homes (PCMHs) who excel in integrating behavioral health services into primary care settings.