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Read the latest stories about what's going on at St. Joseph's Health Care London.

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Tall dream comes true

With a list of burning questions in hand, Patricia Prance answered an incoming video call. On the other end of the line – a giraffe and his zookeeper. Prance has virtually visited not one but two giraffes thanks to St. Joseph's Health Care London's Palliative Care Unit at Parkwood Institute. Her interest in giraffes first sparked when she visited African Lion Safari as a kid. “I just fell in love with the way they ran and their tall necks. And I'm tall and lanky and run kind of like a giraffe,” she laughs. Prance always dreamed of meeting a giraffe and being able to pet it, but travel...

Miranda Scott in motion on an climbing wall

A Little Fall to a Big Climb

Miranda Scott had big plans. She had just bought a house, was about to graduate from college for a second career, and was an avid rock climber, gardener and all-around exceptional athlete. It all ground to a halt when an accident in her home left her unable to walk. "I was panicked, in pain, and my...

portrait of Patricia Hoffer with graphic that reads: "Making a difference in our community"

A mentor, connector and role model

Congratulations to Patricia Hoffer, Chief Communications Officer at St. Joseph’s and one of 11 individuals named to the annual Mayor’s New Year’s Honour List celebrating members of the London community who have made outstanding contributions to the city in various categories. Patricia was named for...

two women standing on either side of a Christmas tree holding gifts, surrounded by gift bags

The gift of empathy

For more than a decade, a group from the Canadian Mental Health Association - Thames Valley Addiction and Mental Health Services (CMHA) has put together gift items for each patient within Parkwood Institute’s various mental health care programs. The initiative, dubbed the Holiday Stocking Project...

A beary heartwarming gift arrives in time for Christmas

Jasper and Kingsley are two fuzzy friends helping to ring in the Christmas spirit at St. Joseph’s Health Care London. They arrived earlier this month as part of a generous donation of 1,300 plush teddy bears from Calendar Club through its teddy bear donation program. The bears will be distributed to...

Stefan Nichol and staff Chaplain Jessica Baker unloading gifts from a van with an "Impact Church" sign on it

In service to others

For the second year in a row, Spiritual Care volunteer Stefan Nichol wanted to show patients at Joseph’s Mental Health Care Program that they are not forgotten. Determined to make sure patients feel special over the holidays, Stefan once again approached several organizations for monetary donations...

a large collection of donated food in holiday-themed boxes, next to an image of driver Rolly Willey unloading the donations from a minivan

A mission of kindness

As the saying goes, we are all in the same storm during this pandemic, but we aren't all in the same boat. Staff, physicians and volunteers at St. Joseph's have come together in kindness to support vulnerable people in our community this holiday season. St. Joseph’s partnered with Morrison Food...

composite photo of six nurses wearing festive reindeer antlers and holding Christmas gifts

A Generous Gesture

Just in time for the holiday season, an unexpected act of kindness was recently delivered to St. Joseph’s Parkwood Institute. Retired nurses Rose Macneil, Kathryn McIntryre, and Carlie Dinn donated beautifully wrapped gifts to St. Joseph’s Geriatric Psychiatry Program. All three generous nurses...

Connecting to Care

After a long battle with a disease that left him with a severe spinal cord injury, Phil Raney remained optimistic. Paying close attention to his health, he was doing his best to live life to the fullest in his power wheelchair – with his devoted wife Janna and Rutger the service dog by his side...

members of the COAST team standing on a stairway outside a building

Partnering to fill gaps in care

St. Joseph’s Health Care London has partnered with three community service providers to pilot the Community Outreach and Support Team (COAST) – an outreach and support service for individuals experiencing serious/acute mental health and addictions issues. Collaborating with St. Joseph’s are the...