The Dr. Parminder Singh Award of Distinction recognizes the vital relationship between community and hospital-based pediatricians and sub-specialists that plays a significant role in the health outcomes of BC children and youth. This award is offered by the BC Pediatric Society in co-operation with the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation. Information about previous award recipients can be found here.

Congratulations to Dr. Dean Elbe
2025 Dr. Parminder Singh Award

Here’s what Dr. Elbe’s nominators said about him:

To the BC Pediatric Society Awards Committee, We are writing to enthusiastically nominate Dr. Dean Elbe for the Dr. Parminder Singh Award of Distinction. Dr. Elbe’s unwavering commitment to bridging the gap between community pediatricians and hospital-based specialists has profoundly impacted the mental health care of children and youth across British Columbia and Canada. As a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at BC Children’s Hospital, Dr. Elbe has been an indispensable resource for pediatricians confronting challenging psychiatric cases. His timely, detailed, and evidence-based guidance on psychotropic medications empowers us and our colleagues to make informed decisions, ensuring optimal patient outcomes. His expertise is not only sought after in acute clinical scenarios but also in shaping long-term treatment strategies for complex cases. Beyond direct clinical support, Dr. Elbe has demonstrated exceptional leadership in developing accessible, patient-centered resources. Notably, he is the author of the psychiatric medication information handouts on the Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre (https://keltymentalhealth.ca/), one of the most widely used and trusted public mental health websites in the country. These handouts are a vital tool for families and clinicians alike, translating complex pharmacological information into clear, actionable guidance for youth and caregivers.  In addition, Dr. Elbe spearheaded the creation of DrugCocktails.ca (https://keltymentalhealth.ca/blog/2021/10/bc-childrens-drug-cocktails-website-completes-major-content-updates), an innovative website providing harm-reduction-focused information on interactions between prescription medications and substances of abuse. This nationally accessed tool, recognized as an Innovative Leading Practice by the Health Standards Organization in 2018, receives over 30,000 visitors annually. Dr. Elbe’s dedication to education is further exemplified by his role in establishing formalized psychiatry resident and fellow rotations in pharmacotherapy at BC Children’s Hospital. Since 2016, he has mentored numerous trainees, enhancing their competence in psychopharmacology and fostering collaborative care models between physicians and pharmacists. His contributions were rightfully acknowledged with a Practice Innovation Award from the Canadian Healthcare Network in 2021. In alignment with the values of the Dr. Parminder Singh Award, Dr. Elbe truly embodies the spirit of collaboration between community and hospital-based practitioners. His initiatives have not only improved individual patient care but have also elevated the standard of pediatric mental health services province-wide. We wholeheartedly endorse Dr. Dean Elbe for this distinguished award and believe his contributions exemplify the excellence and collaborative spirit the award seeks to recognize.

The Dr. Judith Hall Award recognizes excellence in research (particularly evidence-based medicine), policy development, community involvement and improving the status of or empowering pediatricians. Information about previous award recipients can be found here.

Congratulations to Dr. Jenny Retallack
2025 Dr. Judith Hall Award

Dr. Retallack selected Vancouver Sun Children’s Fund to receive the $500 monetary amount that accompanies this award. Here’s what Dr. Retallack’s nominators said about her:

Jenny is a tireless advocate of full scope general pediatrics, while working full-time in the Pediatric ICU at BC Children’s Hospital. Because of her passion for supporting the most vulnerable children and families, she has developed and is engaged in numerous projects and initiatives which support general pediatricians and primary care providers across the province. She is particularly motivated to support health care providers practising in rural, low resourced settings. The BC Children’s Hospital PICU Critical Care outreach work, for which Jenny has been a key developer, includes the monthly PCCL rounds (attended by hundreds if not thousands of health care providers since their inception), the roll out of the StEP (Stabilization Essentials in Pediatrics) course to different regions of BC, and the creation of the ‘In A Hurry’ online resources on the Child Health BC website. The ‘In A Hurry’ resources provide clinicians with immediate, specific and highly reliable guidance when managing pediatric patients who are critically ill. Jenny has also taken a lead in the transition to enabling the PICU Transport Physician to use Zoom as means to immediately virtually assess patients across the province. All of these initiatives will improve outcomes for children/youth needing acute medical care. In addition, as the co-lead of SPRUCe (Sustaining Pediatrics in Rural and Underserved Communities), Jenny collaborates with rural pediatricians and other key stakeholders to provide rurally-relevant pediatric CME sessions, to help connect rural pediatricians to potential locum providers, and to advocate for strategies to support the provision of consulting pediatric care in rural communities across BC. Jenny also provides direct patient care to patients in two rural communities as part of her longitudinal rural outreach clinics and she is a CHARLiE provider, working shifts as the virtual pediatrician on call available to health providers in all of BC’s rural communities. To top it off, she volunteers a Board member of the BC Pediatric Society. She is also a wonderful human and mentors and supports students and residents whenever she has the opportunity, including supervising many learners in their research projects.