Sandy McIntyre spent a lot of time at St. Joe’s as a child, but not as a patient. His father was Dr. Alexander McIntyre and he was the Chief of General Surgery at St. Joe’s. “I was here a lot with my dad as he was visiting patients on the weekend and I learned so much during that time.”
Dr. McIntyre was instrumental in making St. Joe’s an academic institution affiliated with the University of Toronto and helping bring the first surgical residents to our Health Centre. “I saw how important it was for physicians like my dad to have the right space to work to help him better care for his patients.” this why I chose to give back—to honour my father at a place that played such an important role in my life, and to help build a better space to care for people with mental illness.
Sandy made a transformative gift to the name the Dr. J Alec McIntyre Adult Mental Health Emergency Services area in our redeveloped unit that is a first point of care for adults, youth and children in crisis due to mental illness. “St. Joe’s 100 year anniversary makes me reflect on the history of St. Joe’s and the piece my father played in making this hospital the place it is today. My wife Jane and I are happy to support such a critical resource for the community.”