ST. JOHN'S REHAB HOSPITAL

Pioneers in health care since 1885, the Sisterhood founded St. John’s Rehab Hospital in 1936 as Ontario’s first hospital focusing on rehabilitation care.

St. John's Rehab Hospital The Sisters promote a multi-faith, multi-cultural approach to health care that emphasizes the dignity of individual patients.

THE SISTERS’ MISSION AT ST. JOHN’S REHAB HOSPITAL

The Sisters support the Hospital in its holistic mission of health care. 

As a praying community in the midst of the active work of the Hospital, we advocate for a vision of health care which expresses SSJD mission and values in a multi-faith, multi-cultural setting, and we provide spiritual and pastoral support for all with whom we journey.

The Sisters hold a variety of positions in the hospital including

• Pastoral visitors
• Members of integrated patient-care teams
• Sacristan and hospital chapel services coordination
• Director of Mission (member of senior management, chair of Clinical and Operational Ethics Committee, and member of Board of Directors)
• Members, Hospital Foundation Board
• Members, Hospital Board of Directors and Hospital Corporation
• Librarian, patient and staff recreational library

ST. JOHN’S REHAB HOSPITAL MISSION AND VISION

• Holistic approach to treating body, mind and soul
• Patient-centred philosophy
• Relentless pursuit of excellence
• Highly innovative and responsive
• Deeply committed and expert staff
• Unique teaching centre for medical and health professionals
• Committed to expanding the boundaries of rehabilitation knowledge

These are the characteristics that inspire the care, teaching, and research provided by St. John’s Rehab Hospital, a leader in specialty rehabilitation in Ontario and Canada.  They represent the vision and proud mission of the staff, physicians, Sisters of St. John the Divine, Auxiliary members and student volunteers, senior management and Board of Directors of the Hospital.  They also reflect the voice of an overwhelming majority of our patients, who evaluate our success at delivering quality, comprehensive rehabilitation that enables them to resume active, productive lives.

THE HISTORY OF SJRH

In 1933, the Sisterhood began to pioneer in the field of convalescent care, a field not then recognized as a necessary health service by the government. With the help of a Board of Directors, and the support of the general hospitals in Toronto, convalescent care was recognized and became  a funded part of the hospital and health care system.  A site was chosen and construction started on St. John’s Convalescent Hospital.

The site on Cummer Avenue was 25 acres of farm land and golf course. It was a barren expanse of land until the original sisters, Srs. Beatrice, Emily, Angela and  Vera began to lay out gardens following the plan of a landscape gardener.  Sr. Emily, who had completed a course at the Guelph Agricultural College, obtained seedlings from the Ontario Department of Lands and Forests, and with the help of George Lockyer, the original gardener, planted 7,000 trees along the property, as well as shrubs, and the rose garden to the south of the hospital. 
In 1936, Governor General, Lord Tweedsmuir, opened the 64 bed hospital. 

Sisters and Auxiliary help the patients celebrate Christmas.

Today, the grounds of the hospital reflect the care and vision of these early sisters and their understanding of the impact of surroundings in a holistic approach to healing. The hospital has grown over the years to become the largest free standing rehabilitation hospital in Ontario.  More than 4,000 patients from across Ontario participate in St. John’s Rehab Hospital  specialty inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation programs.