Looking back on the past year, it is incredible what our staff have achieved in such a short span of time, from opening our community clinics to researching new vaccines. Learn about the hard work that has gone into safeguarding our community, as told by our staff both on the front lines and behind the scenes.

When a toddler started to choke at an Ottawa Costco, a nurse from The Ottawa Hospital happened to be on the scene and successfully performed CPR to save his life. Would you know what to do in a similar emergency? Our trauma services team has recommended some introductory first aid courses.

Three years into the pandemic, patients and families share their powerfully personal stories of how nurses answered the call.

Caring for our staff and physicians is essential to delivering quality care to our patients and their families. A new virtual open forum series has created a safe space for our caregivers to connect with their colleagues and receive emotional support during challenging times.

A good self-kindness routine can help you reduce stress and hone your compassion for others. If you’re looking for inspiration, discover how our care staff have made self-kindness a lifestyle.

Maxime Bilodeau was inspired to volunteer with The Ottawa Hospital after spending time in the acute care and rehabilitation units. “I saw the work that a lot of the volunteers were doing. After I got discharged, as soon as I was able to, I started to volunteer,” he recalls.

Bao-Anh Vuong has been volunteering with The Ottawa Hospital since high school. Now, 10 years later, she is a nurse at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, and part of a team of experienced volunteers who recruit and onboard new volunteers.

For Jocelyn Niven, volunteering is a way of life. “It’s the way I was brought up,” she explains. “I come from an army family. My mum volunteered us for everything as far back as I remember.” Now a military veteran herself, Jocelyn is moderator of the hospital’s high school co-op program.

A cancer diagnosis is a life-changing event marked by uncertainty. Though each patient’s journey is different, volunteer Joanna Reid and The Ottawa Hospital’s Chemo Teach program give patients beginning chemotherapy an overview of what they can expect from their treatment.

Retiree Claude Bédard volunteers with The Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Centre. After partnering with the Centre’s recreation department, Claude and a few other volunteers began hosting a coffee club, serving coffee and good conversation to patients twice a week.

If you’ve visited any hospital in the past two years, you may understand the stresses of keeping up with COVID-19 protocols. Throughout the pandemic, Anne-Marie Hartford has provided clarity to patients and their families.

From sustainable design at our new campus to choosing ultra low-flow anesthesia in our operating rooms, here are a few things The Ottawa Hospital is doing to care for the health of our patients, staff and environment.