Dear colleagues,
It is with mixed feelings that we announce that Dr. Jennifer Russel will be leaving her position as the UBC Psychiatry Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (CAP) Subspecialty Program Director effective August 31, 2023, as she has accepted the prestigious position of Psychiatrist in Chief at Michael Garron Hospital in Toronto. We are thrilled that she has been offered this exciting and well-deserved advancement opportunity, which speaks to her exceptional qualifications and track record, and are delighted that her move will bring her family closer to loved ones in Ontario. That said, we will dearly miss Dr. Russel and the fantastic leadership she brought to the CAP Subspecialty Program.
Appointed as the CAP Subspecialty Program Director in 2021, Dr. Russel has provided outstanding direction and support to the Program over the last 2.5 years. Notably, she oversaw the successful implementation of Competence by Design (CBD) within CAP Subspecialty education as of July 1, 2021, and has since ensured the Program has continued to fully meet RCPSC standards of accreditation. As well, she led the implementation of Junior Attending call for PGY 6, in keeping with the transition to CBD. Since her appointment, the CAP Subspecialty Program increased from 6 to 10 positions, and over the duration of her term, Dr. Russel has focused on the development of CAP education to distributed sites, especially in the North, where we now have our first Lead Resident from NIHA. Dr. Russel has been an incredible leader in many other regards, building a wonderful rapport with residents and going above and beyond to provide guidance, mentorship, and support in their learning, career preparation, and personal wellness.
Dr. Russel joined the UBC Department of Psychiatry in 2011, and was promoted first to Clinical Assistant Professor in 2015 and then to Clinical Associate Professor in 2022. She previously served as Clinical Director for the Compass Program at BC Children’s Hospital (BCCH) as well as Medical Director for the BCCH Adolescent Psychiatry Inpatient Unit, and since 2021 has served as Associate Head of Psychiatry at BCCH. In 2020, Dr. Russel was named a Physician Changemaker by the Canadian Medical Association.
On behalf of the entire UBC Department of Psychiatry, we sincerely thank Dr. Russel for her many significant contributions to the Program and the Department. As she prepares to step down from this role, the Department will be initiating a formal search and selection process in the coming days to fill this vacancy.
Please join us in wishing Dr. Russel all the best as she moves into her new leadership role in Toronto!
Sincerely,
Dr. Lakshmi N. Yatham, Professor and Head, UBC Department of Psychiatry
Dr. Jordan Cohen, Associate Head, PGE & CPD, UBC Department of Psychiatry
The UBC Department of Psychiatry Administration Office respectfully acknowledges the land on which we live, work and play is the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish Peoples, the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-waututh).