The Ottawa Hospital is full of inspiring stories of kindness, courage and discovery, and we are proud to bring some of those stories to you in the 2019-2020 annual report.

Thanks to some ingenuity, teamwork and an old IV stand, some patients can now have hands-free video chats with their families.

A tablet helped Sandra Deevy and her family see and speak to their mother, 90-year-old Joan Khan, as she was receiving care at The Ottawa Hospital for COVID-19. They said the video chats were the next best thing to being at the bedside.

Respiratory Therapists from The Ottawa Hospital received applause from residents in local long-term care homes for their part in swabbing more than 1,700 residents and staff for COVID-19 in a single weekend. Their efforts are part of a region-wide collaboration to protect some of the most vulnerable people in our community.

The Ottawa Hospital normally sees about 37,000 outpatients a month. With the province’s guidance to ramp down non-urgent procedures and clinics, half of these non-urgent appointments are being done virtually – right from the patient’s phone or tablet. Not only does this mean more convenience for patients, but also fewer patients having to visit the hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is normal to feel stress related to COVID-19 and all the pressures that it may present. Many of us are feeling stretched and stressed, and are letting go of some of the coping strategies that have helped us. Read on for some validation that you are not alone in this struggle.

From a working public arena covered in ice, to a fully-functioning medical facility in just three-and-a-half days, the COVID-19 Assessment Centre at Brewer Park Arena is the latest example of extraordinary teamwork and the ability to quickly meet the urgent and changing needs of the community.

Michel “Mike” Mongeon has been a porter at The Ottawa Hospital for 12 years, but he has been making people laugh and feel at ease his entire life. He was awarded a Guardian Angel pin on behalf of a patient for going above and beyond to provide exceptional care.

From physicians to nurses to researchers, The Ottawa Hospital celebrates the inspiring women who are leading the way in changing health care.

Shift workers face unique challenges when it comes to sleep. Sleep physician and researcher Dr. Tetyana Kendzerska and health psychologist Dr. Kerri Ritchie from The Ottawa Hospital offer sleep tips for shift workers.

Every patient who comes to The Ottawa Hospital has a story. A new workshop at The Ottawa Hospital is teaching patients the finer points of storytelling so that they can become compelling teachers for the health-care professionals of today and tomorrow.

A team led by Dr. Robin Parks has developed a new way to identify drugs that may be good candidates for treating the common cold.