ALUMNI
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UCALGARY MEDICINE FALL 2013
M E D I C I N E . U C A LG A RY.C A / M AG A ZI N E
Meet Dr. Roxanne Goldade, 2013 Alumna of Distinction By Leigh Hurst
11 1 What prompted you to start Paediatric Kids in Care (P-KIC)?
It actually wasn’t me who started P-KIC per se. About seven years ago, Child and Family Services Authority (CFSA) and the Department of Paediatrics agreed that the old system of serving children in care was not working as well as it should. The processes need to work differently to better serve one of our most vulnerable populations and I was asked to lead the project with Chris Tortorelli from CFSA. Chris and I then worked very closely to develop the program. We led an extensive change that involved everything from building intersectoral relationships, developing new forms and trying to rewrite legislation.
You won the Alumnus of Distinction Award for Collaboration. Do you think that collaboration was key to P-KICs success? 2
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Dr. Roxanne Goldade, MD ’90 (Panda), has been practicing Community Paediatrics in Calgary since 1995. She is also the Physician Lead for Pediatrics for Kids in Care (P-KIC) and the new Social Paediatrics Unit.
Absolutely. I’ve found that if you have the right people working together everything else follows. We were successful because we found the right players. While preparing for paediatric grand rounds on P-KIC back in February 2012, I had an epiphany. As doctors, we are good at the medical side of care but we often find the social context too difficult and complicated to manage. We often don’t know where to turn or where to generate social referrals. I proposed a novel system to remedy this problem and it was endorsed by my department head, Dr. Jim Kellner. We have been able to develop and grow the Social Paediatrics Unit with little funding and have also established one of the first social paediatrics rotations in Canada for our paediatric residents that is set to begin next month.
Both of these initiatives will take into account the social context of any child that presents to our care. Advocacy is another important tenet of the Social Paediatrics Unit. We want to have a better foot in the political door in order to help form policy and advocate the social paediatric agenda. I also want to foster greater discussion with the judiciary system and social workers to ensure we’re going in the right direction.
5 What advice would you give to the new MD Class?
1. Persevere. Clearly, there will be ups and downs so just hang in and truly enjoy the ride. 2. Don’t lose your personality. I never gave up music because it’s a big part of who I am. Some people discouraged my continued participation in music but I’m grateful that I kept my other life. It has made me a more well-rounded physician.
4 How did the University of Calgary MD program prepare you for the collaborative nature of your role in community paediatrics?
I guess I’m a bit of an extrovert. Perhaps it’s because of my musical background. I had a couple of leadership roles in medical school and was seriously involved in the MedShow—the annual medical student talent show. I didn’t mind being out front and medical school didn’t discourage that. Also, I’m from Calgary and, while some people would see this as a disadvantage, I am glad I stayed close to home. Because I know the city so well, I know where every school is and I know the teachers. I’m glad I didn’t go away – knowing this city has made me a better community paediatrican. The University of Calgary medical school fosters a sense of collaboration. As students, we understood the power of working together in a group. I felt a sense of community here and appreciated it. It’s much the same in the community of paediatrics. Everyone in the group is an equal. We all bring our own strengths to the team as doctors, social workers, teachers, judges, lawyers, dieticians, dentists, nurses, etc.
What is a panda? A panda is a giant bear with black and white patches, native to China. The University of Calgary’s Faculty of Medicine began formally naming its MD classes after animals in 1975 when a professor became frustrated with his class and called them “a bunch of turkeys”. The name stuck and so did the tradition, with each medical class naming the class behind them.
10 Dr. Roxanne Goldade 11 From left to right: Logan Christie, Chris Tortorelli, Dr. Roxanne Goldade. 12 Dr. Roxanne Goldade with a copy of one of her records.
FUN FACT! Roxanne Goldade has been singing since two years of age and recorded two records throughout her teen years. In 1978 and 1979, she was nominated for two Juno Awards for Most Promising Female Vocalist and then for Best New Female Vocalist. 12