Extensive research consistently finds positive connections between mental health, experiencing nature and taking breaks outdoors. That’s why The Ottawa Hospital’s new campus will have space for gardens, walking paths and contemplative areas – for patients and staff.

What’s it like going to an Ottawa Senators game in a wheelchair? How accessible is the restaurant where you are meeting your friends? How do you get there? What’s ParaTranspo? Find out how Recreational Therapists Cindy Des Lauriers and Caryn Johnston make a difference for our patients.

“I realize now that it wasn’t just a journey to heal my body. It was also a journey to heal my emotional and mental state. Here are some highlights… and some lowlights. But I have come out the other side stronger.” Read Donna Jakowec’s journal.

When John Henry spent three weeks cycling across Great Britain last summer, he didn’t need to take along a three-week supply of antiretroviral pills for HIV. As part of a study at The Ottawa Hospital, Henry receives an injection once every eight weeks instead.

Ian Asquith doesn’t miss being in the hospital for two months with a perforated colon, but he does miss the special nurses on 7 East, who he nominated for the annual team nursing award because they bring to life The Ottawa Hospital’s core values of compassion, respect, teamwork and quality.

Some of The Ottawa Hospital’s smallest patients have a new home. The Special Care Nursery at the Civic Campus recently moved into a new space, just across the hall. Not only does this new space provide a safe, quiet environment for these little patients, but it also offers parents more space and privacy, as they watch over their little ones.