We are excited to share our year two progress updates of our strategic plan, VISION 2028: Inspiring a Brighter Future of Pediatric Health Through Inclusion and Innovation which was built with input from across all levels of our community.
As a collective, we continue to aspire to be a thriving community driving excellence and integration in pediatric care, research, and education—enabling the best potential for every child, youth, and caregiver in BC and beyond.
Through collaboration throughout our organization and across the province, we have defined our Department’s priorities within four strategic pillars. This plan integrates our roles in clinical care, education, research, and child-health leadership.
Our strategic plan reflects several key aspirations and values that define our community: a deep commitment to health justice and equity; a vision to broaden collaborations with health authorities and strengthen our work with Child Health BC to ensure the highest quality of clinical care across the province; a pledge to pursue scholarly excellence; and above all, a dedication to foster a supportive work environment rooted in compassion and respect.
With gratitude,
Dr. Steven Paul Miller, MDCM FRCPC FRSC FCAHS (He, Him, His)
James and Annabel McCreary Chair in Pediatrics| Professor and Head, Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
Hudson Family Hospital Chair in Pediatric Medicine | Chief, Pediatric Medicine, BC Children’s Hospital
Download our Strategic Plan (updated Jan 10 2025)
For more information, contact:
Elaine Stearman, Project Manager
UPDATED May 28, 2026
Co-Leaders: Dr. Ralph Rothstein (Associate Head, Clinical Affairs) and Dr. Laura Sauvé (Assistant Head, Clinical Partnerships)
Sub-Working Group Co-Leader: Dr. Lindy-Lee Green
Working Group:
Dr. Amed, Shazhan
Dr. Burke, Sharlynne
Dr. Chilvers, Mark
Dr. Connolly, Mary
Dr. Fish, Caia (2026-2027 Trainee)
Dr. Fu, Winnie (Trainee)
Dr. Gano, Dawn
Dr. Guttman, Orlee
Dr. Hay, Christy
Dr. Khangura, Simi
Dr. Kieran, Emily
Dr. Lee, Esther
Dr. Meckler, Garth
Dr. Mishaal, Ram
Dr. Page, Trish
Dr. Palmert, Mark
Dr. Rayar, Meera
Dr. Retallack, Jenny
Dr. Sabhaney, Vikram (Vik)
Dr. Salh, Gurpreet (Preety)
Dr. Sandery, Blake
Dr. Schrewe, Brett
Dr. Virji, Mumtaz
Dr. Vo, Dzung
Mr. Waller, David
Dr. Wong, Jonathan
Year 2 Strategic Goals:
• Enhance collaboration and communication across Pediatric healthcare networks that drive quality improvement through communities of practice.
• Increase collaboration between the Regional Health Authorities, Child Health BC and our Department.
• Improve communication between BCCH and community Pediatric healthcare providers.
Year 2 Progress Made:
Network Awareness and Community Engagement Sub-Working Group (Led by Mark Chilvers and Laura Sauvé)
• Network presentations given at 2024-2025 Department of Pediatrics' meetings:
- BCCH Outreach and Child Health BC (Mark Chilvers)
- CHARLiE (Child Health Advice in Real-Time Electronically) & SPRUCe Networks (Sustaining Pediatrics in Rural and Underserved Communities) (Kirsten Miller and Melissa Paquette).
- Diabetes Network (Shazhan Amed).
• Barriers to Equitable Care and Quality Improvement survey: 50% of Divisions have replied, describing the tremendous work occurring across the department.
• Clinical Communication Improvement Sub-Working Group (Led by Lindy-Lee Green and Ralph Rothstein)
• Initial baseline data collected.
Co-Leaders: Dr. Steven Miller (Department Head and Chief of Pediatrics) and Dr. Mona Patel (Associate Head, Education)
Sub-Working Group Co-Leaders: Dr. Melissa Chan, Dr. Angela Devlin, Dr. Kyla Hildebrand, Dr. Deepak Manhas, Dr. Dina Panagiotopoulos, and Dr. Manish Sadarangani
Working Group:
Dr. Amed, Shazhan
Dr. Balfour, Jennifer
Dr. Basak, Sanjukta
Dr. Blydt-Hansen, Thomas (Tom)
Dr. Boerner, Katelynn
Dr. Brown, Kelly
Dr. Brussoni, Mariana
Ms. Burrows, Alissa (Allie)
Dr. Cabral, David
Dr. Carleton, Bruce
Dr. Carwana, Matthew (Matt)
Dr. Charlton, Julia
Dr. Cheng, Sylvia
Ms. Chui, Vicki
Dr. Deyell, Rebecca
Dr. Doan, Quynh
Dr. Goldman, Ran
Dr. Harvey, Melissa
Dr. Houghton, Kristin
Dr. Jassemi, Sara
Dr. Kalingel-Levi, Merry
Dr. Khan, Rabia
Mr. King, Dylan
Dr. Kulkarni, Tapas
Dr. Laguë, Sabine
Ms. Lam, Stephanie
Ms. Linden, Isabelle
Dr. Loock, Christine (Chris)
Dr. Lunken, Genelle
Dr. McClymont, Elisabeth
Dr. McLaughlin, Tom
Dr. Mitra, Souvik
Dr. Pang, Christopher
Dr. Peebles, Erin
Dr. Ranger, Manon
Dr. Rayar, Meera
Dr. Remington, Mia
Ms. Richter, Lindsay
Dr. Rothstein, Ralph
Dr. Schrewe, Brett
Dr. Schultz, Kirk
Dr. Seaton, Claire
Dr. Selvanathan, Thivya
Dr. Sethna, Mia
Ms. Shen, Jane
Dr. Sly, Laura
Dr. Strahlendorf, Caron
Ms. Tanaka, Kimi
Dr. Tuff-Gordon, Eliza
Dr. Turvey, Stuart
Ms. Veloso, Christine
Dr. Virji, Mumtaz
Dr. Wenderfer, Scott
Dr. Wittenberg, Abigail
Ms. Wu, Sylvia
Building Infrastructure for Academic Clinical Success Sub-Working Group (Led by Steven Miller)
Year 2 Strategic Goals:
• To create a more supportive infrastructure for simultaneous academic and clinical success.
• Allow faculty time and space to drive academic mission.
Progress Made:
• New Job Profile Matrix developed; circulated for feedback.
Connection Between Research and Clinicians Sub-Working Group (Led by Angela Devlin and Manish Sadarangani)
Year 2 Strategic Goals:
• Remove barriers to allow for cross-collaboration among clinicians, scientists, and other disciplines.
Year 2 Progress Made:
• Environmental scan complete.
• Associate Head Research - job description being created
Recognition and Promotion Sub-Working Group (Led by Dina Panagiotopoulos and Kyla Hildebrand)
Year 2 Strategic Goals:
• Broaden the criteria in addressing professional picture to include community-driven goals.
• Account for professional satisfaction, or personal well-being.
Year 2 Progress Made:
Draft Faculty Needs Assessment developed; feedback phase.
Education Improvement Sub-Working Group (Led by Deepak Manhas and Melissa Chan)
Year 2 Strategic Goals:
• Reduce gap in current evaluation system and ability to measure real-world impact of clinical training.
• Address decline in applications to Pediatrics and sub-specialties.
Year 2 Progress Made:
• Planning for Pediatric-specific career night.
• Subspecialty Pediatric meetings back in-person.
• Department of Pediatrics’ Education Retreat relaunched.
• Shared resource repository made for Pediatrics’ training program.
• Seeking representation from foundational scientists so graduate student education needs are also evaluated.
Learn more:
Faculty Research
Resident Research
The Hudson Scholars Awards Program | Scholarly development of early career faculty pediatricians
Leader: Dr. Tatiana Sotindjo
Sub-Working Group Leader: Dr. Rabia Khan
Working Group:
Ms. Barrett, Bonnie
Ms. Bharmota, Anguil
Dr. Boerner, Katelynn
Ms. Burke, Sharlynne
Dr. Carwana, Matthew (Matt)
Dr. Chan, Mercedes
Dr. Chilvers, Mark
Dr. Connolly, Mary
Ms. Gill, Sabrina
Dr. Glodjo, Armansa
Ms. Hay, Christy
Dr. Hildebrand, Kyla
Dr. Jain, Nita
Dr. Jassemi, Sara
Ms. Joe, Young
Dr. Kissoon, Niranjan (Tex)
Dr. Kwon, Eugene (Genie)
Dr. Lee, Esther
Dr. Manouzi, Anas
Dr. Meckler, Garth
Dr. Moore, Eva
Dr. Palmert, Mark
Dr. Rehmus, Wingfield
Dr. Remington, Mia
Dr. Retallack, Jenny
Dr. Roberts, Ashley
Dr. Salh, Gurpreet (Preety)
Dr. Schrewe, Brett
Dr. Skaugset, Melissa
Dr. Tait, Carmen
Dr. Virji, Mumtaz
Dr. Vo, Dzung
Ms. Wu, Sylvia
Medical and Social Complexity Sub-Working Group
Year 2 Strategic Goal:
• Children with complex needs struggle with system navigation and geographic disparities in Pediatric access.
Year 2 Progress Made:
• Met with Dr. Hal Siden and Dr. Tom McLaughlin to discuss working together to create a Social Complexity Working Group.
Healthcare Communication Crisis - Interpreter Services
Year 2 Strategic Goals:
• Address gap between in word-for-word translation and cultural interpretation. Lack of trauma-informed training and technology barriers during traumatic calls.
Year 2 Progress Made:
• Met with Director of PHSA Provincial language services to partner on projects requiring no new funding.
• Applied for the CUES Grant (Community-University Engagement Support)
• CHES student focused on how to teach faculty/students working with interpreters.
Leadership: Dr. Caron Strahlendorf (Deputy Head, Pediatrics)
Working Group:
Dr. Armstrong, Robert (Bob)
Dr. Balfour, Jennifer
Dr. Carleton, Bruce
Dr. Casiro, Oscar
Dr. Chan, Melissa
Dr. Goldman, Ran
Dr. Hildebrand, Kyla
Dr. Jacobson, Kevan
Dr. Jetha, Nasir
Dr. Junker, Anne
Dr. Kieran, Emily
Dr. Kilvert, Megan (Meg)
Dr. Loock, Christine (Chris)
Dr. Marchak, Caitlin
Dr. Miller, Kirsten
Dr. Murthy, Srinivas (Srin)
Dr. Panagiotopoulos, Dina
Dr. Rayar, Meera
Dr. Remington, Mia
Dr. Rogers, Paul
Dr. Salvarinova, Ramona
Dr. Schrewe, Brett
Dr. Schultz, Kirk
Dr. Skaugset, Melissa
Dr. Sly, Laura
Dr. Tucker, Lori
Ms. Veloso, Christine
Dr. Virji, Mumtaz
Dr. Vo, Dzung
Dr. Wallace, Andrea
Dr. Wensley, David
Year 2 Strategic Goal:
• Standardize metrics and deliverables to acknowledge, support, and recognize faculty through their careers and beyond into retirement within the Department of Pediatrics' at BCCH.
Year 2 Progress Made:
Engagement Sub-Working Group
• New hire checklist developed, tested and is now being used routinely for the onboarding of all new faculty.
• Emeritus Faculty Task Group (led by Bob Armstrong)
Recognition Sub-Working Group
• Comprehensive award database developed and routinely updated – to track annual faculty and staff awards – to nominate, recognize and celebrate accomplishments.
Mentorship Sub-Working Group
• 12 new peer clinical faculty mentors have been matched with junior faculty through the UBC Faculty of Medicine Mentorship and Trainee Mentor Program.
Leadership Sub-Working Group
• Department of Pediatrics’ faculty have been proposed for BEACON Medical Staff Leadership Program.
The Department of Pediatrics Faculty Peer Mentors:
