Thursday, October 1, 2026 | St. Lawrence County, NY
Dr. Sandra McCloy, a pillar of the St. Lawrence County community, is retiring after 40 years of dedicated service to Hospice of St. Lawrence Valley.
Her legacy will endure as multiple generations have been helped by her compassion, knowledge, and skills.
Dr. McCloy has been providing medical services in St. Lawrence County since 1986, when she joined Dr. Jon Kay at Canton Family Physicians. Together with her husband, Dr. John Dewar, and fellow providers Dr. Daniel Palmateer and Jim Napp, P.A., she supported patients in the primary care setting.
When Sister Mary Katherine, the founding director of Hospice of St. Lawrence Valley, approached Dr. McCloy about being a medical director for the newly formed organization, Dr. McCloy made one of “the best professional decisions” she’s ever made.
A community-focused medical provider, Dr. McCloy selflessly served as a volunteer Hospice medical director for the next 20 years. She felt it was “fun to be a volunteer doing something you’re skilled at” and provided expert end-of-life care to patients and their families.
As the organization and the responsibilities of her position grew, she eventually agreed to accept payment for her work with Hospice, continuing another 20 years as the Hospice physician up to the present.
Uniquely, Dr. McCloy has provided cradle-to-grave medical care for some patients, having assisted many laboring mothers over the years. Although birth and death are opposites, there are similarities she witnessed.
Time becomes an unknown in each, and the value of an “empathetic person delivering care and answering questions” cannot be overstated in either situation. Touchingly, Dr. McCloy has witnessed happiness and relief in each situation. For births, it is the excitement of a new life, while at end-of-life, survivors may find comfort in knowing their loved one is no longer sick or suffering.
Working closely with the entire Hospice team over the years, Dr. McCloy has been struck by the dedication of staff and volunteers alike. She “admires everything they do and their willingness to take on-call shifts and go out in the night” to care for their patients. The volunteers who “go in and validate the patient’s life and experience” have also been impressive to her.
The holistic approach the Hospice team takes to support the patient and family resonated with Dr. McCloy. She witnessed firsthand how patients were treated as more than their diagnosis and how their goals and what mattered most to them were always at the forefront of each team member’s mind.
The availability of expert, compassionate end-of-life care in the community remains important to Dr. McCloy even as she retires.
She believes “it’s important to have an outlet for people who are dying so they can die at home, surrounded by their family and pets, where they’re most comfortable.”
She feels having the choice to be at home for end-of-life care is invaluable and is happy to have been a part of ensuring residents of St. Lawrence County have had this option for decades.
As she transitions to retirement, Dr. McCloy is thankful she has the ability to enjoy her time in retirement and encourages people of all ages to stay active in some way, shape, or form. After serving as an on-call physician for decades, she is also looking forward to restful nights.
Staff and volunteers of Hospice of St. Lawrence Valley extend their gratitude to Dr. McCloy, knowing she helped shape the exceptional end-of-life care that is provided in St. Lawrence County. Past and present employees appreciate the dedication, knowledge, and compassion Dr. McCloy imparted to them, as well as patients and families.
