COUNCIL AWARD
edge for Kids network . This nationwide collaboration has mobilized pediatric academic centres , community emergency departments , researchers and clinicians to disseminate the best evidence-based pediatric emergency care standards across the country . Dr . Reid also undertakes scholarly research and has delivered a number of podcasts on pediatric emergency topics for the Emergency Cases podcast – with over 100,000 downloads to date .
In nominating , Dr . Reid , Dr . Gina Neto , CHEO ’ s chief of emergency medicine said : “ Dr . Reid should be recognized for her outstanding work and dedication to improving the quality of acute care for children within CHEO and beyond . She has built strong connections with community providers and has had great impact in improving the emergency care of children across the country .”
We recently spoke to Dr . Reid about her life and work .
Why did you choose pediatric emergency practice as your specialty ? I always liked acute care and the variety you get in emergency medicine . I also wanted to see some healthy kids . While I don ’ t follow patients long-term , the trade-off is that I get to build a special therapeutic alliance with families as I know that I ’ m talking to parents on their very worst day . Being able to help them quickly on that day creates a powerful , intense relationship that is special in its own way .
What was the impetus for establishing the outreach program ? We knew that there was a challenge in community emergency departments to deliver evidence-based care , as most community EDs don ’ t experience the volume of cases seen in tertiary care centres . As a result , we were seeing variations in care delivery throughout the community . We realized we should be supporting our community partners – the 17 hospitals in our LHIN and beyond – by sharing our best practices to help raise the capacity of their ability to provide quality care . Our main objective was to eliminate those variations in care and provide the resources and care standards that could be integrated into their hospital systems .
The program has been running for 10 years now – are you seeing the results you hoped for ? We definitely now have stronger partnerships with hospitals throughout the region . And hospitals have integrated CHEO ’ s resources and practices into the way they provide pediatric emergency care , so that the broader hospital system sees a more uniform , evidence-based approach to care , particularly for common conditions such as croup , gastroenteritis and asthma .
What do you think accounts for the successes in your career ? From the time I was about five years old , I wanted to be a doctor and I vigorously pursued that goal . At the same time , I think I was blessed to have had parents who were really dedicated to their children ’ s happiness and success . And now , my husband Alex is my biggest champion . He and our three boys , Seamus , Brendan and Declan understand the demands of my emergency practice and together we find a way to make a happy , busy and fun household .
What advice do you give to young physicians starting out in pediatric emergency care ? First of all , I tell them that they need humility . I want physician learners to stay excited and keep that fire of interest , curiosity and passion for medicine . But most importantly , particularly for those working in the emergency room , I want them to treasure the relationship with the parents and children and to respect the confidence parents have in us when they entrust us with the most precious part of themselves . MD
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS : Nominate a Colleague for the Council Award
The College is now accepting nominations for the 2019 Council Award . Further details can be found on page 20 and on the CPSO website www . cpso . on . ca / council-award . Or email us at cpsoaward @ cpso . on . ca
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DIALOGUE ISSUE 2 , 2018