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With a focus on palliative care, Dr. Tanja Borchers has dedicated her career to compassionate, patient-centered care in Southern Health-Sante Sud. She completed medical school at UM and graduated from the family medicine residency at Boundary Trails in 2019. As she navigated medical training, Dr. Borchers found herself drawn to the profound impact she could make providing end-of-life care and completed her palliative care subspecialty training. 

Since graduation she has balanced various roles, from community family practice and emergency and hospital work at Boundary Trails Health Centre to her involvement in Southern Health’s and the WRHA’s palliative care programs for both adults and children. Broadening her impact and knowledge-sharing in the field, she is involved in research projects in palliative care and looks forward to joining the team of ​“Ask a Professional” for the Canadian Virtual Hospice in the New Year. Beyond clinical practice, Dr. Borchers also enjoys her role as an educator and mentor in both palliative care and rural family medicine, demonstrating the importance of collaboration in comprehensive and quality care to medical learners, other health providers and the public. 

Caring for families and children with life limiting illnesses, Dr. Borchers has met many brave and strong individuals and families who inspire her in many different ways and who teach her about resiliency and bravery. She often reflects ​“on what a privilege it is to walk alongside patients and families who are navigating the hardest scenarios.” She tries to meet her patients and their families where they are, with kindness and understanding. Dr. Borchers finds joy in providing culturally appropriate palliative care in homes in First Nations communities throughout the Southern Health region.

Patients and colleagues value Dr. Borchers’ knowledge, availability, and diligence. One patient, Andrea, says Dr. Borchers goes ​“above and beyond anything” she has ever experienced as a patient, adding ​“Dr. Borchers has stood by me through many challenging moments. I trust her and find great comfort in her care.” Colleague Dr. Bruce Martin echoes Andrea. In his four decades of practice he has ​“met few other clinicians who have equaled her contributions in their first decade of their career,” adding Dr. Borchers ​“truly manifests community adaptive capacity in clinical care, research, education and health system change in Palliative Care.”

Outside of work, Dr. Borchers enjoys being active, spending time with family and friends, indulging her creative side and spending warm summer days at the cabin, taking advantage of all that lake life has to offer. She loves her sweet three-year-old goldendoodle, Maisy, who happily accompanies her on walks and adventures.

Dr. Ranjit Tatineni, graduated from Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, India. After practising in North Wales in the UK, he moved to Canada in 2014. Since then, he has focused on psychiatry and addiction medicine, caring for patients in Brandon.

Driven by a calling to help those facing mental health and addiction struggles, Dr. Tatineni finds fulfilment in making a positive impact. He feels especially rewarded when he hears from patients or their families telling him of the difference he has made in their life. Colleague and friend Dr. Keith Jenkins applauds Dr. Tatineni’s tireless dedication to providing quality addictions care and inpatient psychiatry work, emphasizing Dr. Tatineni’s role in keeping the psychiatric ward operational during staff shortages. Dr. Jenkins says ​“I can truly say the Brandon psychiatry team would be lost without him.”

Like many colleagues working in mental health, he shares concerns about the declining workforce in mental health and addiction services, a challenge amid rising demand. Dr. Tatineni exemplifies the resilience and compassion required in the demanding field of psychiatry. His advocacy and work, in spite of staffing and mental health resource shortages, is an example of the transformative power of a physician committed to the well-being of their community.

Beyond his medical duties, Dr. Tatineni is a family man, married with a son and a daughter. He enjoys outdoor activities, especially mountain biking. His favourite book is Ayn Rand’s ​“Fountainhead” and his favourite dish, that reminds him of home, is Hyderabadi Biryani.

At the Specialized Services for Children and Youth Centre, Dr. Stefanie Narvey wears many hats as a developmental pediatrician, educator, and advocate. Born and raised in Portage la Prairie, Dr. Narvey’s journey to a career in medicine was shaped by her experiences working in her father’s chiropractic office and the Portage Clinic. These early encounters instilled in her the value of the doctor-patient relationship and the importance of primary care. After completing her medical education in Winnipeg she did her subspecialty training in Vancouver.

Dr. Narvey’s passion lies in unraveling the intricacies of child development, working at the Child Development Clinic and the Manitoba FASD Centre, where she is involved with the FASD Justice program. A highlight of her role is the opportunity to work in rural and remote communities, conducting outreach clinics. It’s in these settings that she feels privileged to hear people’s stories. She says ​“I love that my job allows me to dig deep with families and try to help them understand their children better and figure out how to best support them.” This work highlights the barriers and waitlists that hinder access to vital services, particularly for those who need them most.

Beyond her important clinical work, Dr. Narvey is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of developmental pediatricians. As the Program Director for the Developmental Peds training program, she endeavors to attract more residents to this vital field, emphasizing the increasing need and profound meaning inherent in this kind of work.

Dr. Narvey’s commitment to others extends beyond the clinic and training medical learners. A heartfelt testimonial reveals her compassionate side. She reached out to Doctors Manitoba, even facilitating the necessary paperwork, in support of a fellow member dealing with a significant personal traumatic event to ensure the individual could access the necessary benefits.

Outside of work, Dr. Narvey is a married mother to two children, ages 6 and 8, who constantly remind her of the intricacies of development and behavior. In her free time you’ll find her with her husband at the rink, walking her delightful dog, or indulging her passion for bird-watching.

Born and raised in the coastal city of Cape Town, South Africa, Dr. Rizqa Sulaiman-Baradien began her journey in pediatrics, graduating in 2010 with an MBChB from the University of Cape Town. After completing her MBChB, she worked in Neurodevelopmental Paediatrics before obtaining a masters degree in Medical genetics. During the COVID pandemic she played a crucial role in a testing centre, marking the beginning of her specialist career.

She first practiced at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, honing her skills in genetics and neurodevelopment. Looking for new challenges, she relocated to Canada with her young family, joining the Department of Pediatrics and Child Health at HSC in 2021. At Children’s Hospital, she works primarily in the general genetics clinic catering to both children and adults with a wide array of genetic conditions. Driven by a special interest in Neurodevelopmental disorders and Skeletal Dysplasias, her practice spans from fetal anomalies to adult-onset genetic conditions.

Dr. Sulaiman-Baradien’s passion for medicine stems from her love for people and her desire to serve humanity. She feels called to serve her fellow humans and says ​“working with families, doing the detective work around trying to figure out their unique and rare conditions, is most rewarding, especially when we find a diagnosis. It is often years of multiple doctors, investigations and procedures before patients finally have closure. In addition, with advances in targeted therapies based on genetic findings, our scope of practice is ever increasing and we are continuously learning and making new discoveries.” The constant evolution of medical practices, fueled by genetic findings and targeted therapies, keeps her engaged and ensures there is never a dull moment.

Like many of her colleagues, Dr. Sulaiman-Baradien has concerns about access to care, particularly in rural or remote communities, and the challenge of especially long wait times for these communities. 

Her proudest professional accomplishment is being a ​“Doctor-Mom.” Balancing the demands of medical specialization while raising four children, she sees her family as an integral part of her journey, motivating her to push boundaries and continually grow in her medical career. Married with two boys and two girls, Dr. Sulaiman-Baradien took on the challenging task of medical school and residency, all while experiencing the joys and challenges of motherhood. Outside of work she enjoys working creatively, with an interest in painting and drawing. While her demanding schedule has shifted her focus to doodling, she is proud of the oil seascapes she created in the past. 

Through her dedication to both family and patients, Dr. Rizqa Sulaiman-Baradien proves that balance is possible between personal passions and family and the pursuit of excellence in medicine.