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.

When the pandemic put an end to hugs, Stacey Smith, a behavioral therapist at The Ottawa Hospital knew she needed to come up with a physically-distanced alternative for her team. A local potter (yes, a potter) had the answer.

Braving cold temperatures, floods and snowstorms, the dedicated team at the Coventry Road drive-thru testing centre performed more than 73,000 COVID-19 tests during 13 months of service, making this location one of the most efficient testing centres in Ontario.