Our Stories

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

Maggie and Ruth seated outside in park

Effective care, less stress

For eight years, Maggie Perquin was a caregiver for her partner, Ruth, as she navigated life with Alzheimer’s. Throughout, Maggie was able to care for Ruth at home, until Ruth passed away in April 2023. During much of that time, Maggie was grateful for virtual care appointments with specialists and others - for the convenience they provided and much more. “Getting Ruth ready and out the door for an appointment, manoeuvring in and out of the car and into a wheelchair, and ensuring we arrived on time would take at least 2 ½ hours of lead time,” explains Maggie. “For a 10 am appointment, the prep...
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Sam, nurse navigator

Bridging the digital divide in health care

Sam Ayoko doesn’t have a health background but for the patients he works with, he plays an invaluable role in their health care journey. In the ever-evolving landscape of health care, technology is playing an increasingly critical role in how we access medical services. Every day at London Heath...
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patient Micheline

Care with comfort

Without hesitation, Micheline Steele provides an emphatic rave review of her extensive experience with virtual care. “It changed my life,” says the 64-year-old. For years, crippling chronic pain curtailed every aspect of life for Micheline. An avid fitness enthusiast, even gentle exercise was out of...
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Jennifer Devlin sitting down

Being there for others

“Your heart grows,” says Jennifer Devlin about how she feels after supporting a cause that is close to her heart. “You offer a helping hand, and you just feel better, and then you reflect all of that back out into the world.” It’s how she felt after making a donation to the Patient Assistance Fund...
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Dr. Neville Suskin

A national leader in shaping cardiac rehabilitation

Anyone who has suffered a frightening heart-related event understands the importance of safely limiting the risk of developing more heart trouble, resuming life and improving wellbeing. This is the critical role of cardiac rehabilitation and a St. Joseph’s Health Care London (St. Joseph’s) physician...
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Brian Farmer smiling at the camera

Miracle workers

Brian Farmer is a man of many talents. He’s led a busy working life – focused on his career as a criminal prosecutor, traveling the world and spending time with family – and an equally non-stop retirement. These days he’s always learning more about the world, and enjoys reading about science...
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hockey player getting ready

Pink in the Rink

Lacing up their skates and running their drills is second nature to the young athletes from the Lambeth Lancers Minor Hockey League. It's something they do hundreds of times a year to develop their hockey skills and compete. But once a year, their practices and games mean something more, and become...
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nurse Ellen Bertul

An investment in our future

Ellen Bentulan describes the experience of being Niya Manu’s nursing preceptor like watching a butterfly spread its wings. Over the course of her eight-week placement on the Palliative Care Unit at St. Joseph’s Health Care London’s (St. Joseph’s) Parkwood Institute, Ellen watched the young nursing...
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Dr. Mohan Merchea and Dr. Gaya Sivakumar sitting together.

Dream maker

Long-time St. Joseph’s physician Dr. Mohan Merchea is helping ophthalmology residents find their passion. Dr. Gaya Sivakumar and her husband Rikin packed up their one-year-old daughter and boarded a flight to India for a learning experience that would change the ophthalmology resident’s life and...
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Dr. Swati Mehta sitting and smiling

Rebuilding through care and connection

Five years ago, donors helped Dr. Swati Mehta launch a unique mental health study for people with physical disabilities, not knowing how many lives it would change. Today, hundreds of people are thriving in mind, body and spirit after participating in Dr. Mehta’s internet-based Cognitive Behavioural...
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