Bringing care and research closer to home with the developmental pediatrics fellowship program
“My life's work at Grandview Kids has been trying to improve the care of the families in our region,” says Dr. Carolyn Hunt, former Holland Bloorview developmental pediatrics fellow. “I want it to be easier for families to get the care they need.”
There are an estimated 850,000 Canadian kids and youth who have a disability, but only 159 developmental pediatricians are trained to support them and their families.
At Holland Bloorview, we’re addressing this shortage head-on, training new developmental pediatricians every year through our fellowship program, the largest of its kind in Canada.
One of those fellows is Dr. Carolyn Hunt, the medical director at Grandview Kids in Ajax, Ontario. As a developmental pediatrician, Dr. Hunt sees children with concerns in one or more areas of development, such as communication or motor skills.
“If it wasn't for the fellowship at Holland Bloorview, Grandview Kids might not even have developmental pediatricians,” says Dr. Hunt. “Through me and other past trainees, the program has touched the lives of so many families.”
In her work with families today, Dr. Hunt is always thinking about the kind of client- and family-integrated approach she learned through the fellowship, one that honours the unique needs of each individual client.
“Holland Bloorview is such a leader in focusing on people as individuals first, so having the opportunity to emulate that in our own way out here has really helped me in my work,” she explains.
Dr. Hunt’s work also involves integrating research and clinical care, modelling what she learned during her training years ago.
“There's not always answers in our field, and that can be challenging for parents,” says Dr. Hunt. “But having the fellowship in place is really making a difference to research. That gives families hope, and it’s critical that they know their doctors are connected to that work in both big and small ways.”
Historically, another challenge for families has been having to travel to access specialized care unavailable in their area. But as Holland Bloorview’s developmental pediatrics fellowship grows—and more qualified physicians enter the field—all of that is changing.
“Our training program has filled gaps in academic vacancies and community positions across the country,” says Dr. Golda Milo-Manson, Holland Bloorview’s Vice President of Medicine and Academic Affairs.
“A 2024 survey of developmental pediatricians in Canada revealed that 23% plan to retire in the next 3-5 years, which will increase gaps even further,” she adds.
Children’s Treatment Centres across Canada rely on Holland Bloorview’s developmental pediatrics training program to fill those gaps to care. For example, since Dr. Hunt started at Grandview Kids, she has hired five additional developmental pediatricians, all of whom have also completed Holland Bloorview’s fellowship program. With more developmental pediatricians at Grandview Kids, the hospital has been able to add a complex care program, which supports kids who would otherwise have been transferred to hospitals far from home. Dr. Hunt and her colleagues also opened Grandview Kids’ Extensive Needs Service, for kids with co-occurring medical, physical and developmental complexities.
Additionally, through the fellowship program, Dr. Hunt was able to make connections with other scientists and contribute to research in developmental pediatrics, including the CP-NET study, which investigates rehabilitation approaches for kids with cerebral palsy.
This kind of continuous innovation is helping kids and families get the answers they need, when they need them. And none of it would be possible without the training, research and collaboration that happens through Holland Bloorview’s fellowship program.
