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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...

A helpful hand and fond memories

Health information coder turned therapeutic recreation assistant Kaliopi takes her hat off to those who work at Mount Hope Centre for Long Term Care. Redeployed for two months, she assisted with social connections, personal touches and dining for the residents at Mount Hope. She admits her time...

Rowing in the right direction

Mac Copp’s heart sank when he heard news that 2020 Olympics would be postponed. At the time he was training six days a week as part of the Canadian National Rowing Team, competing for a chance to represent Canada in Tokyo. Concerns about the spread of the COVID-19 put his lifelong dream of becoming...

Good food, better health

“You are what you eat,” says Christina Seely, Registered Dietitian at Parkwood Institute. “I often tell patients that our bodies don’t plug into the wall—they rely on the essential nutrients we consume to function.” Working in the Mental Health Care Program for 14 years, Christina is the dedicated...

The lives you save

“I don’t know who helped saved my life,” says Andrea Campbell. “I can’t meet them or thank them personally – but I can give back. I can donate blood.” In 2015, Andrea, a therapeutic recreational specialist with St. Joseph’s Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team, was the recipient of a massive...

Scanning electron microscopy images showing organic material, crystals, and bacteria present on the surface of the ureteral stents

New urinary microbiome study could be first step in providing personalized care to patients with ureteral stents

For patients with kidney stones, ureteral stents (hollow devices placed in the ureter – the tube between the kidney and bladder) can be used temporarily to relieve urinary obstruction. Despite the use of antibiotics, ureteral stents often become encrusted with minerals and coated with bacteria. This...

Kneading a helping hand

Stacey gets emotional when she thinks about what life has been like over the past year. Living through the pandemic has given her a newfound appreciation for her family, friends, health and career. It reminds her not to take anything for granted and help others whenever possible. Stacey is a...

A simple exchange

Makayla was feeling quite overwhelmed and anxious when the pandemic began. She was aware the pulmonary function clinic was going to be closed temporarily, and that she was going to be sent to work in another area, but she didn’t know where. “Our team became closer as we were all going through...

New options in an old battle

While many may have heard of sickle cell disease, an understanding of its life-altering trajectory and the agony it reaps is often lacking. At St. Joseph’s, pain specialists are part of a new, collaborative approach in London to improve care for a growing number of people living with the blood...

A hairy situation

While attending school, Rhianne Chalmers started a part-time job as a dog groomer and quickly fell in love with the job. She worked as a groomer for nearly six years before opening her own shop in Kilworth-Komoka last summer. She was driven to succeed and the business was already seeing encouraging...