Department of Pediatrics

When we were brainstorming ideas to help guide this year’s Annual Report, a common theme emerged: Community. This past year has shown us yet again how essential community is when facing unexpected challenges, providing us with a strong sense of belonging, support, and connection. And while no community is immune to adversity, our community in Pediatrics continually adapts and evolves to come out the other side even stronger and most importantly, together. 

Over the past year, we have seen numerous examples of how our broader pediatric community has come together to support patients, families, and each other. With the E. coli outbreak in the fall, we saw physicians and healthcare providers at the Alberta Children’s Hospital (ACH) and in the community working together with public health and with the impacted daycares, ensuring that all patients and families received the best care possible. Nearly all of our clinical services at ACH and throughout the city have seen increasing patient volumes and complexity. Many of our teams have responded with innovative models of community outreach and by partnering with community pediatricians and community subspecialists. Part of what makes these models of care possible is the exemplary educational opportunities that our trainees have within the community to learn from our Department members who provide care in Calgary and across southern Alberta. We are also fortunate to have dedicated research teams who are focusing on community safety and how we can keep children out of our hospitals. Our Department members continue to demonstrate unwavering dedication and commitment across all of our CARE pillars – Clinical, Advocacy, Research and Education – with the ultimate goal of providing the best care possible for our patients and their families.

Our community continues to grow year after year with new members, new partnerships, and new opportunities. We have been working hard over the past few years to foster a healthy sense of community throughout our Department and beyond, placing great value on recognizing and celebrating the achievements of our colleagues and highlighting collaboration on a local, national, and global scale. Through our focus on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), we will continue to work towards a culture in which we value our colleagues for both their strengths and their differences. 

Our diverse community provides us all with great opportunities to learn from one another, build valuable connections, and provide and receive support. In 2023, we asked our Department members to help identify our top priorities for the coming year, and we are pleased to report on some of the progress we have made in these areas in this Annual Report. In the spring of 2024, we look forward to further defining our vision and goals with a new strategic plan. We want to ensure that this plan is meaningful, actionable, and reflective of the Department as a whole, and I look forward to hearing from our members about their top priorities and where we should focus our resources and attention over the next five years.

While each year seems to bring continued and unexpected challenges, I am endlessly inspired by our community in Pediatrics. I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to each and every one of our Department members for your ongoing efforts to support patients and families, and each other. Thank you for all that you do!

Sincerely,

Dr. Antonia Stang

Associate Professor and Head,
Department of Pediatrics