FACILITYCalgary

March 24, 2015

Let’s have a talk about death and dying. That’s what I was expecting. She talked about ‘a bigger tool box’, and ‘there is something we can do’, and ‘death is about living a good life until the moment of death’.

A pleasant afternoon, getting myself informed about palliative care, a discussion about living. My only wish was for the discussion to have continued, but the busy Doctor had to run to another meeting. Literally.

If someone says, “Quick, call a doctor”, you might ask what kind of doctor? If you call Jessica Simon, you get a lot more than you bargain for – she’s four kinds of doctor. Four jobs, four titles: Division Head, Palliative Medicine, University of Calgary; member of the Palliative Consult Team, Calgary; Scientific Officer and Co-lead, Advanced Care Planning and Goals of Care Alberta; Physician Consultant, Calgary Zone, Alberta Health Services. That’s a lot to put on a business card. Add, wife, mother … more about that later.

In the beginning … Jesica was born in London, UK; mom was a magistrate, dad, an actuary. Baby girl Jessica has two older brothers, was very good in school, attended St. Paul’s Girls School and learned about Calgary watching the ’88 Olympics on TV. She earned a B.Sc. in Neuroscience and got her MD at the University of Edinburgh. She interned in geriatrics and took an exchange job/holiday year in Australia (where she met an engaging Calgarian fellow who was driving a tour bus). That relationship led to discussion of ‘London or Calgary’ the following year .. which led Jessica to a Stroke Fellowship at the University of Calgary in 2001. How did she get that Fellowship? Apparently her St. Paul's Girls School credential stood out on her CV ... caught someone's attention. Lucky us!

She told me that her fellowship was in some respects the savior of her relationship because she felt long-distance wasn’t feasible. In her year she learned to dream big. “Calgary is not afraid of change”. As one of the trailing requirements to formally finish her medical degree she needed to do one month in Palliative Care. She “loved it”. “This is new medicine. It looks at the whole person.” She was hooked. On the work. And on Calgary.

What drives you? “Guilt and fear drove me in my 20's. No what drives me is seeing how to grow things --- like kids, palliative care, etc..”

What do you believe has contributed most to your success? 

“The good luck to be born to my parents (economic advantage) – the where and when of it. I like to ask questions. Working where change is something people are open to, working with open engaging minds.”

What has held you back? 

“I don’t like taking no for an answer.”

I had met Jessica in passing a few months back – introduced by someone else I was meeting at the Foothills Health Campus. Her engaging manner and openness in talking about this important topic - death & dying - most of us would like to avoid knowing much about suggested she was worth pursuing an interview with. She made time. I’m glad of that and happy to pass on my observations of her observations …

Oh, about that tour bus operator whose charms influenced Jessica to choose applying to come to Calgary for that Fellowship? You might know him best as Greg Clark, leader of the Alberta Party. Jessica and Greg have two daughters. She tells me they don’t talk shop at home … too busy, too tired.