2020 in photos: A year like no other at St. Joe’s
With 2020 coming to a close, St. Joe’s is reflecting upon the accomplishments and challenges the year has brought as the hospital continues to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.
In looking back, we have collaborated with community partners to effectively respond to a global healthcare crisis locally. In so doing, we developed new and innovative ways to serve our community, and to keep loved ones connected during unprecedented times.
Throughout the pandemic, we were grateful for the support the community extended to our healthcare heroes, who have gone above and beyond to deliver compassionate care amid the pressures of COVID-19.
Now, with the rollout of the vaccine offering hope for an end to the pandemic, we look forward to the year ahead with optimism as we deliver upon our mission to provide high quality care, engage in dynamic research, and foster revolutionary educational opportunities in health sciences. Below are some of the most iconic moments to highlight a year like no other at St. Joe’s:
Introducing our 2020 New Year’s baby
For Tom Shepherd and Teri Pecoskie, 2020 is a memorable year not because of COVID-19, but because the couple rang in the new decade by welcoming their healthy baby boy. Baby Shepherd, who will soon celebrate his first birthday, was the first to be born at St. Joe’s on New Year’s Day weighing seven pounds and 13 ounces.
Collaborating with community partners
Once COVID-19 spread to our community, emergency and urgent care teams at St. Joe’s collaborated with local paramedics to test the preparedness of our response to the growing crisis. Protected Code Blue simulations called for transferring a “patient” with COVID-19 to St. Joe’s for care. The patient was, in fact, a high-fidelity mannequin purchased with fundraising.
Mobilizing quickly to respond to the crisis
Teams at St. Joe’s played a pivotal role in launching a number of assessment centres across Hamilton for COVID-19 testing – a feat that, under normal circumstances, would take extensive planning, but were up and running within days. Today, people can book their appointments online for a timely turnaround of results.
Linking loved ones virtually and in person
During the first wave of COVID-19, the hospital restricted visitors to help curb the spread of the virus in our hospital, and the greater community. Peter Jurgan, a patient with dementia at our West 5th Campus, was able to stay in touch with his family through St. Joe’s virtual visits program. Meanwhile, Frankie Orlando, a long-stay patient at our Charlton Campus, was able to connect with his family through the hospital’s window visits program.
Innovating care with a clinic on wheels
Owing to the pandemic, a reduction in services at the hospital prompted innovative solutions to deliver care in the community. With help from a mobile clinic, driver Jim McGuire, and registered nurses Robert Biba and Terry O’Connor, were able to provide patients with schizophrenia regular bloodwork and medical injections to maintain their optimum mental health. The clinic’s operations were funded, in part, through a $50,000 grant from the Hamilton Community Foundation.
Embracing community support
Whether through chalk art in support of Hamilton hospitals, children’s artwork in our COVID-19 unit, or donations of equipment, supplies, and food to fuel our teams, St. Joe’s received ongoing encouragement from the community throughout the pandemic. This support was vital in boosting the morale of our healthcare heroes when they needed it most, for which we are extremely thankful.
Marking milestones that celebrate our heroes
Despite the pressures of the pandemic, opportunities to celebrate our healthcare heroes never went unnoticed. Our behind-the-scenes and frontline heroes keep our hospital running smoothly, and provide expert care to our patients. We salute them on Mother’s Day, as pictured, and every day.
Cheering our patients on through to recovery
After 41 days at St. Joe’s, staff on our COVID-19 unit had the pleasure of giving Hamilton resident Helen Keene a round of applause as she was discharged from the hospital. Helen was among the hospital’s first admissions with COVID-19, and our team was proud to support her recovery from the virus.
Sharpening skills through virtual training
Restrictions imposed by COVID-19, including limitations on elective surgeries, didn’t prevent our medical residents from sharpening their skills. Through cutting-edge virtual reality technology that simulates elbow, knee, and hip replacements, orthopaedic surgeons in training were able to perform surgery on realistic, life-like “patients” despite the reduction in hospital services.
Extending the reach of virtual care
This year also saw the launch of St. Joe’s virtual emergency department. The innovative program was introduced to meet the needs of the community during the COVID-19 pandemic, and for emergency physicians to provide assessments to patients with non-emergent health concerns from the comfort of their own space.