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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Occupational therapists pose for a photo standing outside a St. Joseph's building.

The gift of humanity: Occupational Therapy at St. Joseph's

Occupational therapist and preceptor to more than 100 students, Clark Heard shares what is at the centre of the OT practice model and how it can be applied across all care areas. ‘You are capable. You have a unique and interesting potential as a human, and so do I.’ This is the philosophy that Clark...
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St. Joseph's Breast Care Program: The best in breast care

The stats are startling. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in her lifetime. But what’s also known is that the chances of successful treatment are greatly improved when breast cancer is found early. At St. Joseph’s, the best in breast screening, diagnosis and...
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Occupation therapist Shrikant Chinchalkar treating a patient who has a hand injury

Hand therapist wins lifetime achievement award

With only three Canadians nominated, St. Joseph’s own Shrikant Chinchalkar has taken home a prestigious award recognizing his many contributions in the field of hand therapy. The International Federation of Societies for Hand Therapy (IFSHT) Lifetime Achievement Award is granted to any person who...
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Dr. Swati Mehta poses in front of her desk.

An online approach to care

With an aging population, neurological conditions like stroke, brain injury and multiple sclerosis (MS) are on the rise in Canada. Those living with neurological conditions face many long-term challenges that can affect both their physical and cognitive functioning. They are also at an increased...
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Revealing the culprit behind Parkinson’s disease

An estimated 55,000 Canadians are living with Parkinson’s disease. While researchers are advancing therapies to treat symptoms, such as tremors, there is currently no method to stop progression. To begin addressing this problem, a team of scientists at Lawson Health Research Institute is developing...
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Rock the Parkwood rocks it out of the park

On a sunny afternoon in September, dozens of patients and residents from across St. Joseph’s Health Care London came together for the 10th annual “Rock the Parkwood” concert. Fan-favourite RBC/DC donated their time and musical talent to entertain the crowd with rock tunes from the past decades...
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Bicycle Built for Two

Fresh air and fun with Mount Hope’s Cycling Without Age program

When Glen Marsh straps on his helmet and settles into his bike seat, he never has to pedal. He leaves that to someone else. “It’s so fun to be on a bike again because it reminds me of when I was a little boy,” says Glen, a resident at St. Joseph’s Health Care London’s Mount Hope Centre for Long Term...
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When medication is mixed with sunshine, beware the side effects

Brighter, warmer, longer summer days are a few things most Canadians look forward to. But if your medication doesn’t mix with sunshine, a sunny day may end with a nasty sunburn. While most know to avoid alcohol or certain foods that can interfere with some prescription medications, there is less...
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