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

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Harnessing the power of bacteria

More than half your body is not actually human, according to scientists. Human cells are outnumbered by trillions of microorganisms, known as microbes. These bacteria, viruses and fungi play an important role in keeping you healthy – from fighting harmful pathogens, to affecting the way medications work, to regulating your immune system. And the exploration of this hidden microbial world is rapidly transforming how we understand health and disease. “The microbiome touches everything in human health,” says Jeremy Burton, PhD, Director for the Canadian Centre for Human Microbiome and Probiotics...

Paul Garrett and his wife surrounded by his care team outside of Parkwood Institute

Partnering to improve care

It took less than 30 minutes for Brenda Martin’s life to change forever. It was early one morning in 2019 when Brenda’s husband Paul asked her to call 911, saying he could no longer feel his legs. After days of testing, Paul was diagnosed with acute onset transverse myelitis, a rare neuroimmune...

Dr. George Athwal wearing a HoloLens2 headset, viewing a hologram of a shoulder joint

Hovering holograms hone surgeons' skills

Surgeon Dr. George Athwal at St. Joseph’s Health Care London was the first in Canada and second in the world to use revolutionary mixed reality technology as a tool in shoulder replacement surgery. At the Roth | McFarlane Hand and Upper Limb Centre at St. Joseph’s Hospital, orthopedic surgeon Dr...

Jessica Kocur sitting on the rocky ground in a mountainous region of Argentina

From care journey to Care Partner

Trekking through the jungles of South America was a dream come true for Jessica Kocur. She was in her late 20’s when she decided to take the trip of a lifetime with now husband Chris. They hiked up and down mountains, climbed up to 4900 metre above sea level in the Andes and then down into the...

portrait of Lori Higgs with text: Innovation, collaboration and generosity of spirit

A leader of distinction

Congratulations to Lori Higgs, St. Joseph's Vice President of Clinical Support and Chief Financial Officer, for being selected as a Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario (FCPA) – the profession’s highest mark of distinction. The designation of Fellow formally recognizes CPAs...

CIBC donation allows scientists to visualize the possibilities in cancer care

A generous donation from CIBC is giving scientists at Lawson Health Research Institute an impressive new tool to study illness and disease. The $240,000 gift to St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation was used to purchase a confocal microscope, state-of-the-art technology that is supporting medical...

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...