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Kent Lewis (middle) received the Community Collaborator Award from St. Leonard's Society of Canada. Pictured with Michael Oates, Executive Director at St. Leonard’s Community Services, London & Region; and Anita Desai, Executive Director, St. Leonard’s Society of Canada

Better together: a decade of partnership recognized on the national stage

When Kent Lewis walked into a room full of St. Leonard's colleagues from across Canada in Calgary this June, he felt it immediately: a shared sense of purpose. Lewis, director of St. Joseph's Health Care London's Forensic Psychiatry Program, was in Calgary to accept the Community Collaborator Award from St. Leonard's Society of Canada — a national honour presented to individuals and organizations whose dedication to collaboration is making communities safer, healthier and more equitable. "I started my acceptance speech by saying, 'You are my people,'" he recalls. "These are individuals who see...

Paul Garrett and his wife surrounded by his care team outside of Parkwood Institute

Partnering to improve care

It took less than 30 minutes for Brenda Martin’s life to change forever. It was early one morning in 2019 when Brenda’s husband Paul asked her to call 911, saying he could no longer feel his legs. After days of testing, Paul was diagnosed with acute onset transverse myelitis, a rare neuroimmune...

Dr. George Athwal wearing a HoloLens2 headset, viewing a hologram of a shoulder joint

Hovering holograms hone surgeons' skills

Surgeon Dr. George Athwal at St. Joseph’s Health Care London was the first in Canada and second in the world to use revolutionary mixed reality technology as a tool in shoulder replacement surgery. At the Roth | McFarlane Hand and Upper Limb Centre at St. Joseph’s Hospital, orthopedic surgeon Dr...

Jessica Kocur sitting on the rocky ground in a mountainous region of Argentina

From care journey to Care Partner

Trekking through the jungles of South America was a dream come true for Jessica Kocur. She was in her late 20’s when she decided to take the trip of a lifetime with now husband Chris. They hiked up and down mountains, climbed up to 4900 metre above sea level in the Andes and then down into the...

portrait of Lori Higgs with text: Innovation, collaboration and generosity of spirit

A leader of distinction

Congratulations to Lori Higgs, St. Joseph's Vice President of Clinical Support and Chief Financial Officer, for being selected as a Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario (FCPA) – the profession’s highest mark of distinction. The designation of Fellow formally recognizes CPAs...

Miranda Scott in motion on an climbing wall

A Little Fall to a Big Climb

Miranda Scott had big plans. She had just bought a house, was about to graduate from college for a second career, and was an avid rock climber, gardener and all-around exceptional athlete. It all ground to a halt when an accident in her home left her unable to walk. "I was panicked, in pain, and my...

portrait of Patricia Hoffer with graphic that reads: "Making a difference in our community"

A mentor, connector and role model

Congratulations to Patricia Hoffer, Chief Communications Officer at St. Joseph’s and one of 11 individuals named to the annual Mayor’s New Year’s Honour List celebrating members of the London community who have made outstanding contributions to the city in various categories. Patricia was named for...

two women standing on either side of a Christmas tree holding gifts, surrounded by gift bags

The gift of empathy

For more than a decade, a group from the Canadian Mental Health Association - Thames Valley Addiction and Mental Health Services (CMHA) has put together gift items for each patient within Parkwood Institute’s various mental health care programs. The initiative, dubbed the Holiday Stocking Project...

Stefan Nichol and staff Chaplain Jessica Baker unloading gifts from a van with an "Impact Church" sign on it

In service to others

For the second year in a row, Spiritual Care volunteer Stefan Nichol wanted to show patients at Joseph’s Mental Health Care Program that they are not forgotten. Determined to make sure patients feel special over the holidays, Stefan once again approached several organizations for monetary donations...

a large collection of donated food in holiday-themed boxes, next to an image of driver Rolly Willey unloading the donations from a minivan

A mission of kindness

As the saying goes, we are all in the same storm during this pandemic, but we aren't all in the same boat. Staff, physicians and volunteers at St. Joseph's have come together in kindness to support vulnerable people in our community this holiday season. St. Joseph’s partnered with Morrison Food...