Development of the Plan

The Department of Medicine launched its strategic plan, Transforming Health Together: 2023-2027, in April 2024.

Planning Process

The UBC Department of Medicine began developing a strategic plan in March 2022 to help set a cohesive direction and priorities for the next 5 years – to strengthen and forge new collaborative relationships, and to support decision making. The process intended to lay out our vision, mission, and goals, how we intended to achieve them, and how we would measure and communicate our progress. The UBC Department of Medicine endeavoured to uphold the UBC Faculty of Medicine’s Strategic Plan – Building the Future: 2021-2026

We engaged broadly across the Department of Medicine community through many separate consultations, including Department-wide town halls, and site visits. We also engaged several partner organizations throughout the process. Through each consultation, we refined our goals and strategies.

HOW: Approach

In pursuing this mission, our planning process will emphasize open communication and ethical behaviour, recognizing that it is a privilege to provide responsible and innovative stewardship of human, financial, and all other resources within the Department. The UBC Department of Medicine community will be asked to meaningfully engage in the planning process so that our many collective strengths are reflected within the plan.

We will:

  • Look at peer institutions across North America
  • Seek and use feedback from as many stakeholders as possible, both on- and off-campus
  • Engage in broad consultation to identify common ground between internal interests and external demands
  • Scan internally and externally to identify strengths, areas to improve, opportunities, and potential threats
  • Prioritize what the Department wants to accomplish
  • Realign existing resources and cultivate new ones to fully support the strategic plan
  • Measure, monitor, and modify the plan as needed

WHEN: Timelines

Phase 0: Project Planning

Phase 1: Situation Assessment

Spring 2022:

Phase 2: Strategy Development

Fall 2022:

Phase 3: Activation

Spring 2023:

Fall 2023:

  • UBC Department of Medicine Strategic Planning Metrics Survey

Phase 4: Implementation & Sustainment

Spring 2024:

  • UBC Department of Medicine Strategic Planning: Implementation Report
  • UBC Department of Medicine Strategic Plan: Transforming Health Together: 2023-2027

WHO: Teams

Working Group & Project Support

The Working Group and Project support team is responsible for carrying out the development of the strategic plan with support from the Project Sponsor. The working group executes the project plan and coordinates engagement of the sub-working groups (UBC DOM Faculty, Staff, and Learners)

Members:

  • Project Sponsor
    • Anita Palepu (Eric W. Hamber Professor and Chair of Medicine)
  • Working Group
    • Andrea Townson (Associate Head, Education)
    • Teresa Tsang (Associate Head, Research)
    • Kathy Standeven (Senior Education Manager)
    • Delaram Behnami/Anna Meredith (Research Manager)
    • Donna Combs (Administrative Coordinator to the Head)
  • Project Support
    • Laurie Golding (Communications Manager)
    • Kelsie Atwater (Assistant to the Head)

Working Sub-Groups

The sub-groups are responsible for contributing to the project’s overall deliverables

Members:

  • Department of Medicine Faculty (Academic and Clinical)
  • Department of Medicine Staff
  • Department of Medicine Learners

Faculty of Medicine Executive Leadership

The Faculty of Medicine Executive Leadership is responsible for providing direction, prioritization and ensures alignment with the Faculty of Medicine’s priorities

Members:

  • Chris Lovato (Vice-Dean Academic, Faculty of Medicine)
  • Shanda Jordan Gaetz (Managing Director, Faculty of Medicine Dean’s Office)

Strategic Plan Advisory Committee

The Strategic Plan Advisory Committee provides directional input and ensures local expertise and alignment. The Department of Medicine Executive Committee will serve as the Advisory Committee

Members:

  • Eric W. Hamber Professor and Chair of Medicine
    • Anita Palepu
  • Associate Head, Education
    • Andrea Townson
  • Associate Head, Research
    • Teresa Tsang
  • Division Heads
    • Amin Kanani (Allergy & Immunology)
    • Andrew Krahn (Cardiology)
    • Barry Kassen (Community Internal Medicine)
    • Cheryl Holmes (Critical Care Medicine)
    • Marshall Dahl (Endocrinology & Metabolism)
    • Robert Enns (Gastroenterology)
    • Nadia Khan (General Internal Medicine)
    • Janet Kow (Geriatric Medicine)
    • Stephen Nantel (Hematology)
    • Ted Steiner (Infectious Diseases)
    • Stephen Chia (Medical Oncology)
    • Adeera Levin (Nephrology)
    • Jon Stoessl (Neurology)
    • Fify Soeyonggo (Palliative Care)
    • Jennifer Yao (Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation)
    • Christopher Carlsten (Respiratory Medicine)
    • Antonio Aviña-Zubieta (Rheumatology)
    • Thomas Kerr (Social Medicine)
  • Program Directors
    • Mark Roberts (Postgraduate Medical Education)
    • Harpinder Nagi (Undergraduate Medical Education)
    • Kevin Eva (Director, Educational Research & Scholarship)
    • Tricia Tang (Experimental Medicine)
    • Sharlene Gill (Faculty Mentorship)
  • Hospital Heads
    • Wee-Shian Chan (BC Women’s Hospital)
    • Gerald da Roza (Royal Columbian Hospital)
    • Mark Ballard (Royal Columbian Hospital)
    • Ken Gin (Vancouver Acute)
  • Distributed Site Representatives
    • Laura Farrell (Island Medical Program)
    • Sharla Rae Olsen (Northern Medical Program)
    • Jasmine Kerr (Southern Medical Program)
  • Clinical Faculty Representative
    • Emily Lai
  • Senior Administration
    • Mary Liu (Director of Administration)
    • Kathy Standeven (Senior Education Manager)
    • Delaram Behnami/Anna Meredith (Research Manager)
    • Sharon Duguid (Senior Manager, Finance)
    • Amanda Milord (HR Manager)
    • Donna Combs (Administrative Coordinator to the Head)

Implementation

Following the launch of our plan, our focus shifts to action. This process involves identifying concrete actions to advance each goal and developing indicators to help monitor our progress.

Read our Implementation Report

Transforming Health Together: 2023-2027 is the strategic plan for UBC’s Department of Medicine

Download the Plan (PDF 2MB)

Special thanks to all the faculty, staff, students, trainees, and partners across the province who have contributed to the development of this plan.