Ontario’s patient ombudsman dies in accident
Fooks appointed to term of five years in June in pandemic’s first wave
Ontario’s patient ombudsman, Cathy Fooks, has died.
“Cathy dedicated her life to public service and to improving the quality of health care in our province — all with the singleminded focus of enhancing the experience of patients, families and their caregivers,” Health Minister Christine Elliott said Thursday.
“We have lost a true champion whose presence will be sorely missed by many, both professionally and personally. On behalf of the Government of Ontario, I extend my sincere condolences to the family, friends, and all those mourning the passing of Cathy.”
A statement approved by Fooks’s family posted on the Patient Ombudsman website said she died due to a “tragic accident.”
“Cathy was a forward-thinking leader in Ontario’s health care sector. Among other accomplishments, Cathy pushed through barriers to make meaningful improvements to the patient and family caregiver experience,” the statement said.
Fooks was appointed to a fiveyear term in June as the province was battling the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic that ravaged long-term-care homes.
The patient ombudsman — a role created in 2014 and once held by Elliott — investigates complaints relating to hospitals, long-term and community care, and makes recommendations to the provincial government.
“Patient and caregiver voices matter now more than ever and need to continue to be heard,” Fooks said at the time of her appointment. “They will help us to make the right changes that need to be done.”
Fooks soon took charge of an investigation into the effect of COVID-19 on long-term-care residents and staff.
She pushed for more supports for long-term-care homes and emergency plans for staff shortages, flagging a number of disturbing complaints in a special report obtained by the Toronto Star in October.
“It is clear that a number of homes experienced organizational breakdowns and were unable to fulfil their basic functions,” the report said.
Fooks brought more than 30 years of experience and advocacy to improve Ontarians’ health care to the role of patient ombudsman, according to Elliott.
“As with everything she did during her notable career, Cathy took this role to heart, making every effort to ensure all voices were not just heard, but were listened to,” Elliott’s statement said.
Fooks previously served as the chief executive of the Change Foundation, an organization focused on improving health care, and was the first executive director of the Health Council of Canada.
She also held executive positions with the Canadian Policy Research Networks, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences.
Fooks leaves her husband, Terrence Sullivan, four children and their partners, and two grandchildren.