Jessica Simon
Positions
Professor
Cumming School of Medicine, Department of Oncology
Contact information
Phone number
Office: 587-231-3640
Location
Office: ACCCYC071328
Background
Educational Background
Bach of Med and Surgery Medicine, University of Edinburgh, 1995
Bach of Med Sci Neuroscience, University of Edinburgh, 1992
Biography
Dr. Jessica Simon is Professor and Division head for Palliative Medicine, Department of Oncology, Cumming School of Medcine, at the University of Calgary. She holds cross-appointments to the Department of Medicine and Departement of Cmmunity Health Sciences. She has co-led prpgrams of implementation research in advance care planning and integration of palliative care early in the course of serious illness. She was the physician consultant for advance care planning and goals of care, AHS, Calgary Zone from 2011-2013 and the Medical Director, Palliative and End of Life Care, AHS, Calgary Zone 2023-2025.
Research
Areas of Research
- Advance Care Planning
- Palliative Care
- Health Equity
Palliative care is defined by the World Health Organization as, “an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual." Dr. Simon co-led the Palliative Care Early and Systematic (PaCES) Project (2018-2025), which aimed to improve the quality of life for Albertans with serious illlness. Funded by grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and Alberta Health, this knowledge translation project adapted, implemented and evaluated evidence-based practices for delivering early and systematic palliative care in advance cancer.
Advance care planning (ACP) is a process that supports adults at any age or stage of health in understanding and sharing their personal values, goals, and preferences regarding their medical care and is key in achieving patient- and family-centered care. Dr. Simon co-led the ACP CRIO program, an Alberta Innovates-funded team of researchers and knowledge end-users who worked together on "Advance Care Planning and Goals of Care Alberta: a population based Knowledge Translation (KT) intervention study." Over six years (April 2013 to Oct 2019) we studied the Alberta Health Services-led implementation of a provincial policy on ACP and Goals of Care Designations in Alberta and explored how to optimally implement widespread uptake of a formalized ACP framework, across a large population and throughout a complex, multi-sector healthcare system. Our impact report can be found at acpcrio.org.
Participation in university strategic initiatives
Projects
“Indigenous Cancer Patient Multidisciplinary Rounds” is an innovative, whole person, equity promoting model of care, developed in Alberta that gathers healthcare providers around the care of people living with cancer who are Indigenous and facing complex systemic barriers. This project co-led with Indigenous colleagues and funded by a CPSA Healthier Albertan Grant, will tell the stories of these rounds and share this model of care. Rounds offer a way to strengthen relationships, catalyse and sustain groups to work together to improve the health not only of Indigenous Albertans, but for the benefit of others facing systemic inequities.
Dr Simon led this Pan-Canadian Palliative Care Research Collaborative mixed methods study to understand the frequency of use and experiences of virtual pallaitive care at the tail-end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tips for virtual visits developed from the study can be found at:
https://pcpcrc.ca/media_resources/clients-tips-for-virtual-palliative-care-visits/
Awards
- Team Innovation Award 2018 for the PaCES Project Team, Department of Oncology, University of Calgary. 2019
- Gillian MacMicheal Lectureship in Palliative Care, Nova Scotia Hospice and Palliative Care Association. 2019
Publications
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