Skip to Content
A home for paediatricians. A voice for children and youth.

Distinguished Community Paediatrician Award

The Community Paediatrics Section established the Distinguished Community Paediatrician Award in 1999 to recognize a colleague(s) who has demonstrated a significant contribution to the field of community paediatrics.

The recipient receives a commemorative award at a dinner held by the Community Paediatrics Section in his or her honour during the CPS Annual Conference.

Current recipient(s): Dr. Dilip Mehta

Dr. Dilip Mehta

Dr. Mehta trained at St. Thomas’ Hospital medical school and completed a Diploma in Child Health at the University of London, U.K. He obtained his Doctor of Medicine and a neonatal fellowship at the University of Toronto, and has devoted himself to children, youth, and families in the greater Toronto area since 1983. He is a staff paediatrician and neonatologist at St. Joseph’s Health Centre, but also a consulting paediatrician in the urban communities of Queen Street East Paediatric Clinic and the Ajax-Pickering Hospital, an associate neonatologist at Sick Kids, and an associate professor at UofT. As Director of Nurseries at St. Jo’s, he strove to provide the full spectrum of care following discharge from hospital to premature babies—and their families—closer to home. He succeeded through community: building relationships, cooperating across institutions, and innovating with regional partners. Dr. Mehta's values, skills, and commitment infuse his training at all levels—from junior medical students to fellows. He was voted ‘Best Clinical Teacher’ for many years, and his contributions have been foundational for in-community training programs regionally. As well as being a wonderful physician, Dr. Mehta is a beloved colleague, role model, and leader. In 1992, he founded and led the Just for Kids Clinic—the first community hospital-based urgent care and walk-in clinic in the GTA—which adapted quickly under his guidance to provide outstanding pandemic care.

Nominations

The successful candidate:

  • is a paediatrician who is primarily community-based.
  • provides exemplary paediatric care in the community.
  • is involved in community paediatrics outside his/her office perhaps in a community of special needs such as street youth, drug rehabilitation, promoting healthy living within the school environment etc.
  • devotes some of his/her time and energy promoting community paediatrics either through involvement in local or national community paediatric groups or through involvement with government agencies to promote the health and welfare of children and adolescents in the community setting.
  • is involved in the academic aspects of community paediatrics, either through teaching, research or involvement in a university department of paediatrics.
  • is of a calibre that his/her colleagues recognize, in this recipient, a role model for a community paediatrician.

Current section executives are not eligible for nomination and cannot nominate candidates while serving their terms.

Submissions

  • Two letters of nomination/support from two members of the Community Paediatrics Section describing the nominee’s contribution to community paediatrics, emphasizing this person’s contribution to the welfare of children in the community, is critical to the nomination.
  • A copy of the nominee’s updated curriculum vitae should be provided (limited to 5 pages).
  • Maximum of two pages of additional documents

Submit your nominations using the Submit Nomination button.

Past recipients

2022

Dr. Teresa Bruni

2021

Dr. Neil Cooper

2020

Dr. Mitchell Zelman

2019

Dr. Mark Feldman

2018

Dr. Michelle Gordon

2017

Dr. Aven Poynter

2016

Dr. Rosemary Moodie

2015

Dr. Hasmukhlal Rajani

2014

Dr. Anthony Ford-Jones

2013

Dr. Joseph Madden

2012

Dr. David Wong

2011

Dr. Denis Leduc

2010

Dr. Moshe Ipp & Dr. Gary Smith

2008

Dr. Andrew Lynk

2006

Dr. Umesh Rayar

2004

Dr. Allen Ciastko

2002

Dr. Barrett Adams

2000

Dr. Bill James, Dr. Lee Stickles

Last updated: May 16, 2023