From Kanata to Upstate New York to Washington, D.C., Jessica Lucky volleyed around getting her education before settling down back in Ottawa half a decade ago. Now a physician assistant at The Ottawa Hospital, Jessica is changing the game for neurosurgery patients by offering continuity of care, a familiar face, and a skillset that spans the clinic to the operating room (OR). Not just a helping hand for Dr. John Sinclair, neurosurgeon and Director of Neurosurgical Oncology at The Ottawa Hospital, Jessica brings much-needed medical and emotional support to the team.
Find out what pivotal moment convinced Jessica to pursue her role and why she loves working at our hospital.
Q: Can you tell us a bit about your early years?
A: I grew up in Ottawa, and I played a lot of sports, especially volleyball. I went to college catholique Franco ouest, and my favourite subjects were always the sciences, and I was very health- and sports-driven. I had a high school biology teacher who was so fantastic that it pushed me further on that track.
Q: What did you want to be when you grew up?
A: A marine biologist!
Q: How did you decide to pursue medicine and become a physician assistant?
A: I went to St. Lawrence University in Upstate New York, and that’s kind of where my journey starts. I got a scholarship to play varsity volleyball, and I majored in neuroscience. I did a thesis there on traumatic brain injury, which opened the next set of doors.
After my undergrad, I went to Washington, DC, and did research at the Uniformed Services University, and that’s where I was introduced to the role of a physician assistant (PA). I remember chatting with one of the PAs who worked there, and I made a bit of a joke, asking “what’s the difference between a PA and an MD?” and the physician looked over and said, “well, he gets to go home to his family tonight, and I’m stuck on the overnight shift.”
I realized I could still do medicine and patient care, but it spoke to me in having a certain balance in my life. I took the two-year PA program in Syracuse, New York, before landing back in Ottawa with my family seven years ago.
Q: What exactly is a physician assistant, or PA?
A: A PA is an allied health professional who helps a doctor with their work load — in my case, I assist Dr. John Sinclair. My job is to make their job easier. It involves bridging the gap where care is needed — sometimes in the clinic, sometimes in the OR. Dr. Sinclair’s vision is that this position allows continuity of care — a familiar face, not having to retell your story. These can be scary times for patients, and I can help reduce that fear.
Q: What do you love about neurosurgery?
A: What originally drew me was the challenge and excitement, how fast-paced it is. But now, what I love the most is the type of care we deliver. I find it incredibly fulfilling to work with oncology patients, getting to know them and their families. There are challenges, but it really feels like we make a big difference.
Q: What’s something that surprised you about neurosurgery?
A: The movies paint surgeons to be so rigid — excellent at what they do, but they can lack bedside manner. But after coming to The Ottawa Hospital, I realized that’s just not true. Dr. Sinclair especially has the best bedside manner of anybody I’ve ever met, he’s remarkable.
Q: You worked with Karol Phillips when she came in with a tumour. What made that her case unique?
A: Since first meeting her, Karol has always been very kind and resilient. She was found to have a relatively rare tumour, and it was also in a tricky location.
When she came in, there were two problems presented: one is that she had a tumour, and the second is that it was causing a condition called hydrocephalus, where pressure was building up in her brain.
What’s interesting is that Karol compensated for the effects of the tumour for a long time. For about a year, she’d experienced some double vision and balance issues, until eventually she said, “enough is enough.” By the time she came in, there was an urgency to proceed with surgery because of the hydrocephalus. Once we removed the tumour, we found it was a grade II central neurocytoma — a noncancerous tumour — of which I’ve only seen two cases since I started with Dr. Sinclair.
We removed the tumour with surgery, and she didn’t need any further treatment except monitoring to make sure it doesn’t come back.
Q: What would you say to someone who recently found out they need neurosurgery for a tumour or other condition?
A: I usually just tell them, “We’ll take really good care of you.” And that’s a promise we really keep. I think The Ottawa Hospital does a really good job of this. We have an excellent neurosurgery program. I feel positive when we can offer surgery, because it means we can offer them hope. Surgery is scary, but not being able to do anything is scarier.
Q: Why did you choose to work at The Ottawa Hospital?
A: I love that The Ottawa Hospital is big enough that we’re good at what we do, but it’s not overwhelming. There’s a good community feel, with knowledge, expertise, and care, and the ability to keep things very personal. I also love what I do because of who I work with. There’s just an incredible work-life balance here, and Dr. Sinclair is always making sure we don’t burn out and take time for personal days and to spend time with families. At The Ottawa Hospital, I found a team and boss that cares about medicine and the patients, but that also cares about me as a person.
Q: Where would we find you when you’re not at work?
A: My husband and I have two children. Our son is eight and our daughter is four. We are in a very fun stage of life, and we fill our days with activities and adventures. Life is busy and unpredictable at times … like today, I received a phone call from daycare letting me know our daughter gave herself a haircut.
My husband and I met snowboarding at Jay Peak in Vermont, even though we’re both from Ottawa. The kids are starting to ski now, and so we’re always planning the next ski getaway.