Our Stories

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

store volunteer

A little shop, a big impact

With the help of dedicated volunteers, St. Joseph’s gift shop and variety stores make a meaningful difference in the lives of patients and residents, one dollar at a time. St. Joseph’s gift shops and variety stores are convenient stops for essentials, snacks, drinks, or thoughtful gifts for a friend or colleague. You may have visited one at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Parkwood Institute, Southwest Centre for Forensic Mental Health Care, or Mount Hope Centre for Long Term Care. But do you know where the money from these sales goes? Or that the warm, helpful faces behind the counter belong to...
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a man having a video conference at home

Creating connections

For Warren Lament, volunteering with St. Joseph’s Palliative Care and Veterans Care Programs was all about creating connections. Whether he was helping to adjust a patient’s television, playing a card game or chatting about sports or movies, he wanted to make each person’s care journey better...
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Recognizing a pain pioneer

We almost take for granted the premise that individual pain experiences can limit patients’ recovery from injury, but just thirty years ago, perceptions of pain weren’t central to patient care. Many clinicians informally asked their patients about pain but there was no formal process for collecting...
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Terry and Patti rock climbing

Anchored in Trust

When Patti Hoddinott tried rock climbing with her husband, Terry, on a whim six years ago, it was love at first climb. But it’s a sport with an extra layer of difficulty for the couple. Terry is blind. Hoddinott, a dietitian at St. Joseph’s Health Care London, is Terry’s caller. Using a two-way...
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Stroke Rehabilitation Team honoured for advancing aphasia care

St. Joseph’s Stroke Rehabilitation Team at Parkwood Institute received the 2024 Gerry Cormier Communicative Access Award for being the first to implement eLearning communication strategies that enhance care and inclusion for stroke survivors with aphasia. The St. Joseph’s Stroke Rehabilitation Team...
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Veterans Care Bus "The Poppy"

A new ride on the roads

Meet “The Poppy”. Maybe you’ve already seen it out on the streets of London – covered in giant red poppies, it’s hard to miss. The Poppy is the new accessible bus for St. Joseph’s Veterans Care Program. From medical appointments and shopping outings to hockey games and museum visits, trips into the...
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older couple sleeping in bed

Sweet dreams

A good night’s sleep – it’s something we all dream of. And there are no shortage of tips and tricks on how to reach the rapid eye movement (REM) stage and enjoy your slumber. But for the more than five million Canadians who live with sleep apnea, a disorder in which breathing stops and starts...
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Michael Newcombe

Two decades of service in veteran mental health

Twenty years since it first opened, the St. Joseph’s Operational Stress Injury Clinic has treated thousands of clients who serve and have served in the Canadian Armed Forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The clinic has grown from a three-person office into a 50-staff support community...
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Listening to what matters most

After sharing his rehabilitation story with a room full of Western University students, local filmmaker Jason Gray quoted post-apocalyptic television show, The Last of Us. “Paying attention to things; it’s how we show love.” The words struck a chord with fourth-year undergraduate student, Vaishnavii...
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Bryan Sanchez, nurse

A dream come true

As a college student in the Philippines, Bryan Sanchez dreamed about working as a nurse in Canada. Today, he is fulfilling his dream working as a registered nurse in the Rehabilitation Program at Parkwood Institute. Thanks to the Supervised Practice Experience Partnership (SPEP) Program through the...
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