Charles L. Cronin III, DO

Throughout my more than 30 years in practice, I’ve tried to emphasize one guiding principle: working toward a better quality of life comes first. I aim to emphasize balancing longevity with living well, with quality of life for as long as possible as an ideal priority.

From an early age, I knew I wanted to become a physician. I chose internal medicine for its breadth and the opportunity it provides to build long-term, meaningful relationships with patients. The principles of prevention, earlier detection when possible, and deeper patient relationships are the foundation of my practice.

I believe time is one of the most valuable tools in medicine. In traditional primary care, external pressures often encourage shorter visits, but the MDVIP model allows me to spend more time with patients and offer unhurried appointments. This allows me to truly listen, educate and partner with my patients. To me, there is no greater reward than seeing a patient work to achieve better health or reach a personal goal.

Conditions such as stroke, heart attack, COPD and hearing loss can significantly impact daily life. This is why I place a strong emphasis on prevention and screenings. While I have years of  experience with acute illness, I believe in educating patients to pursue disease prevention when possible. The annual MDVIP Wellness Program I offer includes advanced screenings and tests focused on key areas of health to help identify risk factors and issues that could be treated earlier, prevented or even reversed.

I am board certified in internal medicine and a Fellow of the American College of Physicians.
During my time at Kent Hospital, I served in several leadership roles, including chief of medicine. I founded and directed Brown University’s Internal Medicine Residency program at Kent Hospital for 13 years. I was honored to receive the Teacher of the Year award from The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.

I also believe we all have a responsibility to leave the world better than we found it. Making a positive impact on another person’s life, whether a patient or a trainee, is deeply meaningful to me. Over the years, I have had the privilege of training many internal medicine physicians. I hope I have instilled in them not only medical knowledge, but also compassion, empathy and an appreciation for the profound responsibility and privilege of being a physician.

Family has always been central to my life. I am one of seven children and value the importance of strong personal connections—something I bring into my patient care. I am grateful for the support of my wife, and together we have four daughters.

Outside of medicine, I enjoy landscaping and building projects, interests rooted in my early work experiences in construction and heavy equipment operation. I am also committed to fitness and strive to model the healthy lifestyle I encourage in my patients.