Sandra Jack lived her life with purpose; caring is her legacy

Standing atop the CN Tower on July 31, 2021, Sandra Jack celebrated surviving cancer for five years post-surgery. More than that, she was paying forward the care she was receiving and fundraising to help more people survive cancer. Helping others was her lifelong mission.

Jack touched lives through her career in education, her public service on municipal council, her

advocacy on community committees, and her many passions. These formed a long list: travelling and camping, kayaking, dog shows, time with friends and family – and philanthropy.

Jack believed in growing services at the Ross to meet the community’s needs, and was a champion for municipal support for the hospital’s major expansion in 2002. Kawartha Lakes was a significant contributor to the Caring For Tomorrow capital campaign, providing $7 million to double the size of the hospital, expanding the emergency department and adding new services including inpatient mental health care, rehabilitation and palliative care.

Upon learning the RMH Foundation was raising funds to help the Ross implement a clinical information system in 2021, she stepped up once again. “I believe that patients, like their health care professionals, need access to their personal medical information in order to be involved in making informed decisions about their own treatment. This has not always been easy to do,” Jack wrote. “While patient-centered care has become the gold standard in medicine today, there are, unfortunately, remaining roadblocks that impede the ability of both patients and their health care teams to access medical information in a timely and holistic manner. This has the potential to negatively impact patient care.”

Jack knew that the real-time connections enabled through the new clinical information system would mitigate those problems. And she knew she could help. Jack took great care to write about her patient experience and the importance of having access to her electronic medical records during her treatment. She also left a gift in her will.

Steve Stewart described his cousin in her eulogy following her death in July 2022. “I think most of all, she will be remembered for her big heart and constant outreach to others. A big part of her life was devoted to giving back through volunteerism and other civic duties. She was not driven by ego or attention seeking, just a strong desire to help out and give back. She remained positive and optimistic right to the end.”

Two months before her passing, she reached out to the RMH Foundation to inquire about a hospital project she had read about. A lifelong learner, she worked hard to be well-informed. She was following the news and the elections, and life on the Scugog River. “I’m losing ground in my battle with cancer, but not ready to give up yet! Too much still to do!”

Jack put her whole heart into everything she did, and the work she put in continues to impact others today. Through her giving, her passion continues to make life better for people in the community she loved.

Sandra Jack’s Testimonial letter (August 4, 2021)

I believe that patients, like their health care professionals, need access to their personal medical information in order to be involved in making informed decisions about their own treatment.

This has not always been easy to do. While patient-centered care has become the gold standard in medicine today, there are, unfortunately, remaining roadblocks that impede the ability of both patients and their health care teams to access medical information in a timely and holistic manner. This has the potential to negatively impact patient care.

I have found that any information currently available online to patients is slow and sometimes difficult to access. I have found it extremely frustrating at times. In order for patients to ask questions and have informed discussions about treatment options with their physicians they should be able to review relevant test reports, clinical records, etc. in advance of appointments.

As a patient with complex medical needs I have received treatment, diagnostic testing, etc. over the last few years in five different hospitals from numerous physicians and other health care professionals. I quickly learned not to expect that everyone involved in my care had access to all my medical records and that I had to assume the responsibility of filling in the gaps as needed and/or requested. I can’t begin to tell you how pleased I was to learn that Ross Memorial Hospital is launching EPIC’s clinical information system. I’ve been using MyChart, its patient portal, for a few years now in order to access my records at the Durham Regional Cancer Center. It’s an excellent system and easy to use. I can review my lab reports, diagnostic test results, doctors’ clinical notes and appointments. I also use it to store personal information such as powers of attorney, advance directives, and even immunization records, e.g. COVID shots.

It’s a great system. It also makes so much sense for the hospital to, from now on, purchase equipment that automatically sends results electronically to a patient’s medical records. This saves hours of staff time entering the data manually and gives them more time to spend with you, the patient! Bravo for being proactive about patient care RMH!