In the fall of 2020, Jennifer was diagnosed with breast cancer and was forced to step away from in-person work to care for her own health. Driven to ensure her patients were getting the health services they needed, she recovered from surgery and began the first part of chemotherapy, before quickly pivoting to working from home in support of her patients all while undergoing chemo and radiation therapies.
She used her time at home to call each of her patients to let them know she was thinking of them, and to discuss how important it was for their health to get vaccinated against COVID-19. She also contacted all the Child and Family Services social workers involved with her patients in care to discuss vaccinations for those kids. It was her mission to make sure that none of her patients would be missed, and her selfless efforts have surely made a difference in the lives of many.
"I was really annoyed to be away from my team and my patients (while recovering from surgery). They were under so much stress and I couldn't be around to help them through it. I'm most proud of the way our team stuck together during this crisis. We have always worked collaboratively and had to kick that up several notches during every wave." - Dr. Jennifer Chan, Family Doctor, Aikins Street Community Health Centre
