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

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Photo of Dr. Tamara Spaic, endocrinologist at St. Joseph's.

Study offers hope for hard-to-treat type 2 diabetes

Lisa Mercer had tried just about everything to regulate the ups and downs of her blood sugars, from a strict diet to medication to four-a-day-day insulin shots. But her busy life with type 2 diabetes finally started to feel better when she enrolled in a clinical trial at St. Joseph’s Health Care London to test the effectiveness of a system that combined glucose monitoring with an automated insulin pump. “It was life-changing for me. I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes 25 years ago and my blood sugars have always been all over the map. I felt sort of helpless. I said yes to this clinical trial...

Is your penicillin allergy real or an urban legend?

Think you’re allergic to penicillin? One in 10 people believe they have a penicillin allergy but actual numbers are much lower. Penicillin is an unfortunate bystander in many ‘viral exanthems’ – an immune system reaction that appears as a rash and is caused by viruses, explains Dr. Samira Jeimy, an...

Adjusting to a new life

Shelley Langley moved to Tillsonburg and started a new job at a retirement residence only a month before the onset of the pandemic. Hired to oversee sales and marketing, her position quickly transitioned into planning creative and recreational activities for residents like special dress-up days and...

A welcome homecoming

While worried about her two adult children living out of town, Sarah also had to navigate some big changes in her career. “In my role as an occupational therapist, I normally work with outpatients. Because we had to stop that part of our care I suddenly had to learn therapy for inpatient spinal cord...

Behind the mask I am busy but grateful

Mail clerk Betty watched the bustling hallway where she works become very quiet when the pandemic hit. “I miss seeing some of the regular faces and having conversations with people.” Many of the staff around her had changes to their schedule or role, but her function remained constant. “I feel very...

A long and winding road

The past few months have been the most challenging time in Camille’s life. In June, her husband was in a serious horse racing accident after which he was rushed to the hospital. His injuries were extensive, including a fractured neck and an acquired brain injury. Camille says he’s lucky to be alive...

Motivated by gratefulness

A surprising thing occurred in Deana’s department during COVID-19. As a coordinator for Food and Nutrition Services she knows the quality and variety of food is very important for patients and residents, but she didn’t realize how important the social interactions were until she starting hearing...

How quickly things change

The past six months have opened George’s eyes to how beautiful and precious life is – and how it can seemingly change in an instant. “We live in a fragile environment,” he says. “It’s incredible that a virus 50 times smaller than one of our red blood cells can bring the world to a complete stop.”...

An Indigenous women holding a feather over the head of a female Indignenous patient

Hope, healing, connection and wellness

An innovative, collaborative program of Joseph’s and Atlohsa Family Healing Services is transforming the mental health care experience of Indigenous peoples. In nature, a tree stump that is broken or rotting begins the vital process of providing essential nutrients for the growth of new life. It’s...

Western University, St. Joseph’s Health Care London partner to improve lives of those with mobility issues

Thanks to a generous $2.5 million donation from William and Lynne Gray to St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation, Western University and St. Joseph’s have partnered to establish the William and Lynne Gray Research Chair in Mobility & Activity within Western’s Faculty of Health Sciences. The Chair is...