Pope Francis - Mother Teresa Canonization
Pope Francis - Mother Teresa Canonization

Doing primary care well requires not only the technical know – how of medicine but a heart for the individual relationship.

Doing primary care well requires not only the technical know – how of medicine but a heart for the individual relationship.

Sentinal Primary Care’s Mission

Trusting in the love & mercy of God and embracing the call to love one’s neighbor as oneself, we at Sentinel Primary Care work to put love into action. We give generously of our time and attention in offering services to all persons in the community in need of healthcare. We are committed to providing high-quality care and honoring the life and dignity of every person we serve.

Sentinel Primary Care upholds the individual person first.

Message from our Founder:

Electronic medical records allow the extraction of health information across the population. While this brings many advantages for looking at patterns and understanding population-level health, it can also obscure the primacy of the individual and the one-on-one visit with your doctor. In modern healthcare, electronic data often takes center stage rather than the individual patient. Without diminishing the value of big data, my focus as a primary care doctor has to be the individual and his or her human dignity.

When I was working to open Sentinel Primary Care, I heard an old interview with Mother Theresa where she gave a striking answer to a question about serving people through her small group of sisters rather than through a large governmental or international organization. What she said summarized the heart of Sentinel’s model:

“I do not agree with the big way of doing things. To us what matters is an individual. To get to love the person, we must come in close contact with him. If we wait until we get the numbers, then we will be lost in the numbers and we will never be able to show that love and respect for the person. I believe in person-to-person.”  St Mother Teresa

My own faith has been a big part of how I practice medicine, just as it was a big part of my inspiration to start Sentinel Primary Care.  Caring for the individual, one person at a time, is Sentinel’s way of living out the Great Commandment.

Dr. Patrick O’Connell

Who Can Receive Donated Care

Sentinel Primary Care is proud to donate a portion of our care to those who lack access to medical care because of financial hardship. In order to receive donated services from Dr. O’Connell, patients must be uninsured, go through our new patient screening, and have a household income that is less than 300% of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Federal Poverty Guidelines. For more information, review our eligibility requirements.

How to Support Sentinel’s Mission

You can support us in two ways. First, you can make a tax-deductible contribution to Sentinel Primary Care. Second, if our charitable care spots are full, you can sponsor an uninsured individual who is on our waitlist so that he or she can join Sentinel Primary Care as an annual fee member. By paying an annual membership fee on behalf of someone who can’t otherwise pay, you’ll give them immediate access to the full primary care services of Sentinel Primary Care. Sponsorships may be tax deductible. Remember to speak with your tax advisor about your particular circumstances.

Sentinel Primary Care is proud to donate a portion of our care to those who lack access to medical care because of financial hardship. Our mission to provide quality primary care flows from the Christian heart of the practice to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves.  Regardless of finances everyone has God-given human dignity, and we donate a portion of our care in service of that dignity.

St Mother Teresa
St Mother Teresa, Photo courtesy Times of India.

We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and welcome your financial contributions to support our mission. Our donated services are supported by private donations, and we do not accept federal or state funding.

Call To Donate Now (919) 797-0550

Sentinal Primary Care’s Mission

Trusting in the love & mercy of God and embracing the call to love one’s neighbor as oneself, we at Sentinel Primary Care work to put love into action. We give generously of our time and attention in offering services to all persons in the community in need of healthcare. We are committed to providing high-quality care and honoring the life and dignity of every person we serve.

Sentinel Primary Care upholds the individual person first.

Message from our Founder:

Electronic medical records allow the extraction of health information across the population. While this brings many advantages for looking at patterns and understanding population-level health, it can also obscure the primacy of the individual and the one-on-one visit with your doctor. In modern healthcare, electronic data often takes center stage rather than the individual patient. Without diminishing the value of big data, my focus as a primary care doctor has to be the individual and his or her human dignity.

When I was working to open Sentinel Primary Care, I heard an old interview with Mother Theresa where she gave a striking answer to a question about serving people through her small group of sisters rather than through a large governmental or international organization. What she said summarized the heart of Sentinel’s model:

“I do not agree with the big way of doing things. To us what matters is an individual. To get to love the person, we must come in close contact with him. If we wait until we get the numbers, then we will be lost in the numbers and we will never be able to show that love and respect for the person. I believe in person-to-person.”  St Mother Teresa

St Mother Teresa

St Mother Teresa Photo courtesy Times of India

My own faith has been a big part of how I practice medicine, just as it was a big part of my inspiration to start Sentinel Primary Care.  Caring for the individual, one person at a time, is Sentinel’s way of living out the Great Commandment.

Dr. Patrick O’Connell

Who Can Receive Donated Care

Sentinel Primary Care is proud to donate a portion of our care to those who lack access to medical care because of financial hardship. In order to receive donated services from Dr. O’Connell, patients must be uninsured, go through our new patient screening, and have a household income that is less than 300% of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Federal Poverty Guidelines. For more information, review our eligibility requirements.

How to Support Sentinel’s Mission

You can support us in two ways. First, you can make a tax-deductible contribution to Sentinel Primary Care. Second, if our charitable care spots are full, you can sponsor an uninsured individual who is on our waitlist so that he or she can join Sentinel Primary Care as an annual fee member. By paying an annual membership fee on behalf of someone who can’t otherwise pay, you’ll give them immediate access to the full primary care services of Sentinel Primary Care. Sponsorships may be tax deductible. Remember to speak with your tax advisor about your particular circumstances.

Sentinel Primary Care is proud to donate a portion of our care to those who lack access to medical care because of financial hardship. Our mission to provide quality primary care flows from the Christian heart of the practice to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves.  Regardless of finances everyone has God-given human dignity, and we donate a portion of our care in service of that dignity.

We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and welcome your financial contributions to support our mission. Our donated services are supported by private donations, and we do not accept federal or state funding.

Call To Donate Now (919) 797-0550

“My wife and I really like the fact that we can talk to Dr. O’Connell, or come see him when we need him.” ~ James

Let’s Do Primary Care Better Together

We’d like to invite you into our office for an initial visit to meet Dr. O’Connell and learn more about the Direct Primary Care model. When you become a member you’ll gain access longer office visits with Dr. O’Connell, quick access for acute needs, and much more.

At Sentinel Primary Care, it is our goal to promote health and good living in all of our patients. Let’s craft a comprehensive health plan for you together as you enjoy convenient access to top-notch care via in-person and video visits, email, phone, or text.

Schedule your initial visit with Dr. O’Connell today!

I’m Dr. Patrick O’Connell. I’m the founder of Sentinel Primary Care. I love being a doctor, and I love, in particular, being a primary care doctor. I get to know the people that I take care of, many of whom I’ve known for lots of years, and I love getting to do that.

I love the science of medicine, biology and the sleuthing out process of some symptom that’s going on, is tremendously fascinating to me but at the heart of it, honestly, being a doctor means being a servant to the people that I take care of.

My whole mission and opening Sentinel Primary Care was to be able to be a better servant. Honestly, it’s tough when you’re running a hundred miles an hour, and you’re behind schedule, it’s tough to take that time to hear what’s going on with the person that I’m talking to.

So, my whole point with Sentinel Primary Care is to be able to create the structure in a primary care setting where I can do that with people. I can spend that time, I can hear the story, I can go into whatever the issue is, and do it in a way so that I can serve better the people that I take care of. So that’s what Sentinel primary care is about and that’s what my mission here is about.