Dear friends and colleagues,
As the end of the year approaches, I find myself reflecting on our incredible community, our achievements, and the extraordinary spirit of collegiality and compassion that define us.
I am continually inspired by the culture of caring and collaboration that permeates our department. It is a privilege to be part of such a dedicated team of faculty, staff, and trainees, all working together towards a common goal—to advance the outstanding care of children, youth, and their families.
I am deeply thankful for another year working together and I am so impressed with what we have accomplished this past year. There are many achievements to celebrate.
• We welcomed 43 new UBC Clinical faculty, with 24 at BCCH, and 19 in the community. Five new Academic faculty joined us. And we received 25 new positions from Workload Funding for recruitment in 2024/25.
• Congratulations to the 14 Clinical faculty who were promoted.
• Over 150 members from the Department reached a Long Service Milestones in 2023 and were celebrated at several events throughout 2024.
• Our Research Funding grew by another 12% this year (45% over the last four years).
• UBC Medical students in the Fraser Cohort can now complete their Pediatrics Clerkship Rotations within the Fraser Health region. The Education team is grateful to our Clinical Faculty within the region which made this opportunity possible.
• The Department has launched a new research-focussed residency stream, with a successful CaRMS 2024 match.
We also made considerable progress within each of our four priority areas in Vision 2028.
Excellent progress has been made by members in Pillar 1 (Increase our capacity for high quality equitable pediatric care) and Pillar 3 (Expand our impact for health justice and health equity in the province and beyond). The groups have met, and new initiatives will be announced in 2025.
Pillar 2 (Support robust education, compelling research, and scholarly activity) launched The Hudson Family Trainee Program, with the inaugural cohort starting in July 2025. Three candidates were selected for their outstanding potential to expand their skills in different pediatric disciplines, and we are confident that they will make valuable contributions to the clinical and research endeavors within our department.
The Hudson Scholar Program in Quality Improvement was relaunched. And look for more information on the SIQIPS (Systems Innovation Quality Improvement Patient Safety) promotion criteria developed by the CDARP Committee which gives weight to scholarly achievements.
Pillar 4 (Nurture A thriving Community of Faculty, Staff and Learners) introduced The Department of Pediatrics Peer Faculty Mentorship Program with 12 seasoned mentors, open to being matched with junior faculty within the department. The group also created a faculty onboarding checklist which is currently under evaluation, and they are looking into ideas to enhance our recognition and appreciation initiatives for faculty and staff.
The accomplishments of the past year have been extraordinary. I am filled with excitement for the new year, with shared learning, collective growth, and meaningful collaboration within our community.
Please enjoy the holiday season and a joyful new year.
With immense gratitude,
Steven
Dr. Steven Paul Miller, MDCM FRCPC FRSC (He, Him, His)
Hudson Family Hospital Chair in Pediatric Medicine | James and Annabel McCreary Chair in Pediatrics
Professor and Head, Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia
Chief, Pediatric Medicine, BC Children’s Hospital