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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Scientist looking through a confocal microscope

Lighting the way to better heart care

The heart is one of the hardest working organs in the body, pumping vital oxygen and nutrients through the blood to keep the body’s system in good functioning order. When the heart becomes damaged or weakened by other conditions – a syndrome called heart failure – a person can be left breathless...
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four people hold up a large cheque

Concussion recovery app launches with donor support

Small beginnings, big ideas and proactive creativity. Long before the advent of the smart phone, these were the principles that led Frank Cowan to success in the early 20th century insurance business. A century later, the Cowan Foundation has continued that legacy through their support of...
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Medical resident Rochelle Johnstone wearing stethoscope, mask and surgical scrubs

Celebrating our medical residents

Each February, Resident Awareness Week is celebrated across Canada in appreciation for the role of medical residents in the delivery of care. This year’s recognition week takes place Feb. 8-12. The week serves as an opportunity to raise awareness of just who medical residents are and acknowledge the...
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Two men pose for scenic photo with their bicycles

Pacing Your Recovery 

It’s been almost nine years since Rob Staffen was in an accident that would change his life forever. Staffen was cycling down a mountain near Palm Springs, California in October 2012 when suddenly his road bike malfunctioned, catapulting him head-first into the rock-strewn desert landscape. The...
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woman wearing surgical mask directs visitor

Keeping it safe

Do you have any COVID-19 symptoms? It’s a question you will be asked by screeners across St. Joseph’s Health Care London upon entering a St. Joseph’s facility. This, and other important questions, have been asked so many times by screeners they could quite literally recite them in their sleep. Yet...
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kindness krew

Kindness Krew keeps on giving

For the past year, the Kindness Krew at Parkwood Institute has been spreading goodwill through various pursuits and the pandemic has not stopped this charitable group of individuals from making a difference. In fact, it has spurred them on. Made up of 16 Veterans and numerous staff from the Veterans...
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