Department Head Message and Welcome

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

With gratitude, we acknowledge that the University of British Columbia Department of Medicine, its divisions, and its sites, which resides on four university academic campuses, are located on traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of Indigenous peoples around the province of British Columbia.

We respectfully acknowledge that the:

• UBC Vancouver-Point Grey academic campus is located on the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), and UBC operations in Vancouver more generally are also on the territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh);

• UBC Okanagan academic campus is situated on the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan Nation;

• University of Northern BC Prince George campus is located on the traditional territory of the Lheidli T’enneh, who are part of the Dakelh (Carrier) First Nations;

• lək̓ʷəŋən peoples on whose traditional territories the University of Victoria is located and the Songhees, Esquimalt and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.

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The UBC Department of Medicine is embarking on the implementation of our Strategic Plan: Transforming Health Together. This plan sets cohesive direction and priorities for the next five years to strengthen and forge new collaborative relationships while supporting decision-making. The strategic plan lays out our vision, mission, and goals, detailing how we achieve them and measure and communicate our progress.

I look forward to continuing the important work of building meaningful connections with our incredible faculty throughout the province as we develop advance our strategic plan. I am enormously grateful for the time and thought our faculty, staff, and learners have offered toward the Strategic Plan. Together, we are rebuilding and reimagining, establishing the strength in our faculty, staff, and learners to fully implement our shared vision in the years to come.

Our Strategic Plan is aligned with the Faculty of Medicine’s refreshed plan, Building the Future, with a continued focus on transforming health for everyone while actively working towards a transformative and inclusive health system.

We aspire to be an organization where everyone thrives, learners reach their potential, researchers address important health questions, and partnerships foster inter-organizational communities. We aim to achieve greater impact locally, nationally, and globally through inclusive practices.

Alongside our work together for greater impact, we commit to being a responsive and sustainable organization in our intentions and actions. As the largest Department within the Faculty of Medicine, we dedicate ourselves to upholding our vision and mission with compassion, excellence, inclusivity, and integrity. We recognize the importance of adapting to emerging trends in healthcare and delivering optimal patient care across the province.

I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all members of the Department for their unwavering dedication to advancing education and research, even in the face of challenges. Your remarkable contributions are truly commendable, and I am immensely proud of the exceptional efforts demonstrated by each of you. It is an honour to be your Department Chair.

Anita Palepu
MD, MPH, FRCPC, MACP
Professor and Eric W. Hamber Chair
Head, Department of Medicine
The University of British Columbia

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