Our Stories

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

Dr. Constance Mackenzie

What causes asthma? DocTalks Podcast Season 4, Episode 26

According to Asthma Canada, asthma is the third most common disease in our nation, affecting more than 3.8 Million people. While there is no one cause or cure for asthma, there are triggers asthma sufferers should avoid and ways to control their condition. On the latest episode of the DocTalks Podcast, host Ian Gillespie discusses the triggers, treatments and new science in asthma with Dr. Constance Mackenzie, a respirologist in the Asthma Centre at St. Joseph’s Health Care London. Listen to this Podcast > Brought to you in partnership with St. Joseph's Health Care Foundation. Note: The...
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man and woman using patient exercise machines

Your gifts funded new equipment for even better health outcomes

Medical equipment and technology play a critical role in enabling our teams to provide exceptional care. These are just some of the ways you impacted patients and residents across St. Joseph’s. Enhancing Breast Cancer Screening for Early Diagnosis When patients come to St. Joseph’s Norton and...
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physicians and nurses standing in front of the Ivey Eye Institute

Your donation means better sight for thousands of people

Move over, surgical instruments – hammers and saws are bringing big changes to St. Joseph’s Ivey Eye Institute. Construction is now underway to expand the Retina Care Program to serve even more people; work only possible because of your support. Extreme Makeover: Ivey Eye Institute Edition We can’t...
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Stroke survivor Roger Oatman standing with a cane

FAST and slow - the varying speeds of a stroke journey 

Would you recognize the signs of a stroke in yourself or someone else? 49-year-old Londoner Michael Lees is grateful his wife can. Her knowledge and quick action most likely saved his life. In the middle of the night in January 2022, Michael woke up with a strange feeling, “I kept tossing and...
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Shauna Graf holding a copy of a book called the Zero Suicide Implementation Kit, standing in front of the Mental Health Care Building at Parkwood Institute

Free community toolkit in suicide prevention generates hope

St. Joseph’s Health Care London was the first organization in Canada to implement the Zero Suicide program. Today, the initiative is spreading across the province. What started as a lofty goal to reduce suicides and attempted suicides within a health care setting is taking flight in communities...
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Dr. Laura Lyons holding an infant on an examination table in her office

Exemplary physician, compassionate cheerleader

Dr. Laura Lyons at St. Joseph’s Family Medical and Dental Centre was one of seven physicians in the province named Regional Family Physician of the Year in 2021 by the Ontario College of Family Physicians. It’s an honour that celebrates the vital contributions family doctors make to their patients...
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a staff member showing thumbs up, standing behind a mound of bags full of paper towels

Harnessing the power of paper towels

Paper towels are often thrown into the garbage after use, but where do they go, and what is the impact on the environment? This is a question Environmental Services (EVS) at St. Joseph’s Health Care London recently tackled and the team has now found a solution that is eliminating paper towels from...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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