Our Stories

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

FMT team at St. Joseph's

‘Poop pill’ benefits may extend to treating kidney cancer, lung cancer and melanoma

Clinical trials suggest fecal transplants can prevent side effects in treating kidney cancer. It can also dramatically improve outcomes for people with lung and melanoma cancers. A groundbreaking study show that the toxic side effects of drugs to treat kidney cancer could be virtually eliminated with customized fecal microbiota transplants (FMT), a field where London excels. The discovery published in the prestigious Nature Medicine journal, was published simultaneously with another paper also in the same journal that suggests FMT is also effective in helping treat lung cancer and melanoma...
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Roy Butler, CEO

Our people - a powerhouse for change

Innovation in health care happens when we ask tough questions, dare to explore beyond conventional boundaries, take bold risks and breakdown barriers to better serve those who rely on us for care. At St. Joseph’s Health Care London (St. Joseph’s), I am grateful for the staff, physicians, volunteers...
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In the right hands at the right time

For anyone with a cervix age 25 and older, St. Joseph’s Health Care London, in collaboration with the South West Regional Cancer Program, hosted a unique, one-day only Pop-Up Pap Test Clinic – no appointment necessary. Twenty years ago, during a routine physical and pap test, Tiffany Lukas had her...
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group with PET/CT

Unlocking boundless potential

Ashmeet Gill had her first PET/CT scan shortly after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of the body’s germ-fighting immune system. She was nervous. Claustrophobia is an issue for the young Stratford resident and the scan, necessary to determine if the cancer had spread beyond the...
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Heeman family

Nurturing our community

Ask the farming Heeman family about their giving philosophy and the response is fittingly down to earth – both literally and figuratively. “The community is a lot like a plant – if you nurture it, invest in it and care for it, it will thrive and prosper,” says Will Heeman. Sitting around the table...
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Tara Smith holds up a cheque

"I actually won"

Tarra Smith, an RPN in the Veterans Care unit at St. Joseph’s Parkwood Institute, didn’t expect a “whole lot” from her single entry into the staff lottery. She had heard in the past about a few coworkers who’d won Whole Lotto Love, and decided to sign herself up through payroll deduction. “I looked...
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verge checkmark

Aligning values with investments

Building upon a long history of supporting and fostering healthy communities, St. Joseph’s Health Care London (St. Joseph’s) has become the first hospital in Southwestern Ontario to align its investments with its values to make an impact across the region. St. Joseph’s is collaborating with VERGE...
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people playing wheelchair rugby

Forward focused

Growing up, Natasha Smids loved sports and animals. A natural athlete, she played everything from soccer and badminton to rugby and basketball. And with more than one pet at home and surrounded by farms, she dreamed of becoming a veterinarian technician specializing in large animals. And so, once...
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