General Pediatric Medicine

Taking care

The Division of General Pediatric Medicine is strongly linked to the core activities and mission of the IWK Health Centre and our roles as teachers and researchers in the Dalhousie Medical School.

Our faculty members:

• strive to offer the best clinical care in diverse settings
• are very active in the training of future doctors and pediatricians at the IWK and the medical school
• pursue research that advances child and youth health

We participate in community activities that promote healthy childhood development including delivering public lectures, engaging with stakeholders and giving media interviews. Our faculty and residents contribute to the clinical work being done within the:

• Pediatric Medical Unit
• Suspected Trauma and Response Team (START)
  
• Pediatric Advanced Care Team (PACT)

Clinical activities

Most of our clinical care activities take place in the Pediatric Medical Unit. This is a 24-bed unit that admits between 1300-1500 patients per year, with a range of diagnoses.

We also work in the outpatient Pediatric Consultation Clinic (PCC), seeing over 2000 children and youth every year. In the PCC we’re able to help meet the needs of children who require longitudinal multidisciplinary care, as well as assessment and treatment of common clinical pediatric problems.

We also provide pediatric medicine clinical consultation to other services when requested.

Teaching activities

The division is proud of our longstanding commitment to teaching excellence. Teaching and clinical supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate trainees is a fundamental responsibility of all our faculty, many of whom have been recognized locally and nationally for their skill. 

In clerkship, senior medical students spend time on the in-patient unit and in the Pediatric Consultation Clinic (PCC). Faculty are also engaged in:

• small group teaching at the university
• medical education research including program evaluation
  
• serving as examiners in pediatric OSCEs—for both medical students and residents

Research interests

Our world-respected faculty members have a wide range of research interests, including:

• CHARGE syndrome
• promotion of social and emotional learning in school-aged children
• surveillance of school climate, bullying and victimization
• evaluation of school-based interventions for social skills and bullying prevention
• child maltreatment evaluation and prevention
• medical education curriculum development and evaluation
• structured communication tool development and evaluation (SCAG) for adolescents

Our people

Our division has an outstanding team of faculty and staff. Faculty members include:

• Dr. Nadia Aumerally, MD, FRCPC
• Dr. Kim Blake, MBBS M (UK), FRCPC
• Dr. Dhiman Chowdhury, MBBS, DCH, MRCP (UK), FRCP (Edin), FRCPCH, FRCPC, FAAP (post-retired)
  
• Dr. Smriti Chowdhury, MBBS, DCH, MRCP (UK), MRCPCH, FRCP (Edin) (post-retired)
  
• Dr. Joanna Holland, MSc, MD, FRCPC
• Dr. Alfhild Larson, MD, FRCPC, FAAP (post-retired)  

• Dr. John LeBlanc, MSc, MD, FRCPC, FAAP (post-retired)
• Dr. Shannon MacPhee, MD, FRCPC
  
• Dr. Sarah Manos, MD, FRCPC
• Dr. Robyn McLaughlin, MD, FRCPC 

• Dr. Shasta Moser, MD, FRCPC
  
• Dr. Amy Ornstein, MSc, MD, FRCPC, FAAP (Division Head General Pediatrics)

Our support staff includes:

• Rodena Mignault, administrative assistant
• Melissa Power, administrative assistant

Contact info

Email: rodena.mignault@iwk.nshealth.ca
Phone: 902-470-6810
Fax: 902-470-6913

Address:
IWK Health Centre
5850/5980 University Ave
Halifax, NS  B3K 6R8