Our Stories

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

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...
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young woman in car looking out the window

New transportation resource for youth in crisis

Transitional aged youth in Middlesex County now have access to a free transportation resource to access mental health services. Called the County Transport initiative, it will help youth ages 16 to 25 in Lucan, Parkhill, Exeter and Strathroy-Caradoc get the mental health care they need, when they...
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portraits of three women: Dr. Sandra Fisman, Trish Travis and Alexis

Endings, beginnings and the confidence to grow

Alexis remembers sitting on her bed thinking “why am I even here? I don’t want to be.” At only 12 years old, while most young girls are envisioning and wading into the freedoms that lie ahead, Alexis couldn’t see a future for herself. Nor could she understand this overwhelming feeling of...
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portraits of Janet Donais and Cheryl Kaufman, winners of the 2021 Sisters of St. Joseph Awards

Flourishing in the face of adversity

In a year like no other, at a time when so much is being asked, the 2021 Sisters of St. Joseph Awards for Excellence presented by St. Joseph’s Health Care London take on extra special meaning. Throughout the extraordinary challenges of the past 12 months, the legacy of the founding Sisters of St...
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Dr. Tamara Spaic, Dr. Sandra Northcott, Dr. Kristin Clemens, Dr. Gillian Kernaghan

The changing face of medicine

The face of medicine is changing. Within London’s hospitals, 953 physicians are women - bright minds who make up an impressive 41 per cent of the total physician workforce at St. Joseph’s Health Care London (St. Joseph’s) and London Health Sciences Centre. Nationally, the percentage of physicians...
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Andrea Campbell seated next to softly blurred images of therapeutic artwork and a walk in nature

Therapeutic recreation supports recovery

On the surface, therapeutic recreation can look like a lot of fun and games with activities that may include journal writing, sculpting and painting. Below the surface, however, lies a health care profession that can help restore an individual’s mental and physical well-being. As therapeutic...
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woman drinking coffee in front of a store

Concussion patient advocate shares her experience to help others

A few years ago, Jill Wright's life was turned upside down in an instant. She had a lot on her mind, juggling a busy work schedule, shuttling her daughters to after school practices and preparing for the grand opening of her family's espresso bar. It was during one particularly hectic evening that...
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