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)
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
Department of Pediatrics
Download our Strategic Plan (updated Jan 10 2025)
For more information, contact: Elaine Stearman, Project Manager
UPDATED Nov 25 2025
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. Abdullah Alabbad
Dr. Shazhan Amed
Dr. Vishal Avinashi
Ms. Sharlynne Burke
Dr. Mark Chilvers
Dr. Mary Connolly
Dr. Winnie Fu
Dr. Dawn Gano
Ms. Christy Hay
Dr. Emily Kieran
Dr. Esther Lee
Dr. Garth Meckler
Dr. Ram Mishaal
Ms. Trish Page
Dr. Jenny Retallack
Dr. Vikram (Vik) Sabhaney
Dr. Gurpreet (Preety) Salh
Dr. Mumtaz Virji
Dr. Dzung Vo
Dr. David Waller
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. Shazhan Amed
Dr. Jennifer Balfour
Dr. Sanjukta Basak
Dr. Thomas (Tom) Blydt-Hansen
Dr. Katelynn Boerner
Dr. Kelly Brown
Dr. Mariana Brussoni
Ms. Alissa (Allie) Burrows
Dr. David Cabral
Dr. Bruce Carleton
Dr. Matthew (Matt) Carwana
Dr. Julia Charlton
Dr. Sylvia Cheng
Ms. Vicki Chui
Dr. Rebecca Deyell
Dr. Shalaka Dixit
Dr. Quynh Doan
Dr. Ran Goldman
Dr. Melissa Harvey
Dr. Kristin Houghton
Dr. Sara Jassemi
Dr. Rabia Khan
Mr. Dylan King
Dr. Tapas Kulkarni
Dr. Sabine Laguë
Ms. Stephanie Lam
Ms. Isabelle Linden
Dr. Christine (Chris) Loock
Dr. Genelle Lunken
Dr. Elisabeth McClymont
Dr. Tom McLaughlin
Dr. Souvik Mitra
Dr. Erin Peebles
Dr. Manon Ranger
Dr. Meera Rayar
Dr. Saleem Razack
Dr. Mia Remington
Ms. Lindsay Richter
Dr. Brett Schrewe
Dr. Kirk Schultz
Dr. Claire Seaton
Dr. Thivya Selvanathan
Dr. Maya Shimshi-Barash
Dr. Laura Sly
Dr. Frances St. George-Hyslop
Dr. Caron Strahlendorf
Ms. Kimi Tanaka
Dr. Stuart Turvey
Ms. Christine Veloso
Dr. Mumtaz Virji
Dr. Scott Wenderfer
Ms. Sylvia Wu
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
Co-Leaders: Dr. Saleem Razack and Dr. Tatiana Sotindjo
Sub-Working Group Leader: Dr. Rabia Khan
Working Group:
Ms. Ruth Appanah
Dr. Vishal Avinashi
Ms. Basmah Bajunaid
Dr. Anguil Bharmota
Dr. Katelynn Boerner
Ms. Sharlynne Burke
Dr. Matthew (Matt) Carwana
Dr. Mercedes Chan
Dr. Mark Chilvers
Dr. Mary Connolly
Ms. Melissa Crump
Ms. Sherri DiLallo
Ms. Sabrina Gill
Dr. Armansa Glodjo
Dr. Sanya Grover
Ms. Christy Hay
Dr. Kyla Hildebrand
Dr. Nita Jain
Dr. Sara Jassemi
Dr. Niranjan (Tex) Kissoon
Dr. Eugene (Genie) Kwon
Dr. Esther Lee
Ms. Mumbi Maina
Dr. Anas Manouzi
Dr. Garth Meckler
Dr. Eva Moore
Dr. Wingfield Rehmus
Dr. Mia Remington
Dr. Jenny Retallack
Dr. Ashley Roberts
Dr. Gurpreet (Preety) Salh
Dr. Brett Schrewe
Dr. Melissa Skaugset
Dr. Carmen Tait
Dr. Sruthi Thomas
Dr. Mumtaz Virji
Dr. Dzung Vo
Ms. Sylvia Wu
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. Robert (Bob) Armstrong
Ms. Basmah Bajunaid
Dr. Jennifer Balfour
Dr. Bruce Carleton
Dr. Melissa Chan
Dr. Ran Goldman
Dr. Kyla Hildebrand
Dr. Kevan Jacobson
Dr. Emily Kieran
Dr. Megan (Meg) Kilvert
Dr. Christine (Chris) Loock
Dr. Cherry Mammen
Dr. Caitlin Marchak
Dr. Kirsten Miller
Dr. Ciara Morgan-Feir
Dr. Srinivas (Srin) Murthy
Dr. Dina Panagiotopoulos
Dr. Meera Rayar
Dr. Mia Remington
Dr. Maya Rosenkrantz
Dr. Brett Schrewe
Dr. Kirk Schultz
Dr. Lori Tucker
Ms. Christine Veloso
Dr. Mumtaz Virji
Dr. Dzung Vo
Dr. Andrea Wallace
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 Mentors:
