Sarah Jane PattersonAssociate Professor, Pediatrics
Overview
Sarah Patterson is the Assistant Dean of the Master of Science in Child Life and Pediatric Psychosocial Care program and an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics within the Faculty of Health Sciences.
Sarah played a pivotal role in the development and launch of Canada's first graduate program in Child Life and Pediatric Psychosocial Care. Since the program's inception, she has contributed extensively to its curriculum, design, and ongoing leadership. Before assuming her current role, Sarah held several academic leadership positions at McMaster University between 2003 and 2016, including Director, Co-Director, Curriculum Coordinator, and Assistant Clinical Professor for the Child Life Studies post-baccalaureate diploma program and undergraduate courses.
She earned her undergraduate degree from Carleton University and her master's degree in Child Life and Child Psychology from Illinois State University. Sarah is currently pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Leadership, Equity, and Inquiry in Higher Education at Illinois State University.
A Certified Child Life Specialist for more than 34 years, Sarah spent 26 years at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, where she practiced across a wide range of pediatric specialties, including Critical Care, Trauma, Respiratory Medicine, Complex Care, Endocrinology, Rheumatology, Gastroenterology, GIFT (Group for the Improvement of Intestinal Function and Treatment), Nephrology/Dialysis, and Solid Organ Transplantation. Her primary clinical focus was supporting children and families within the solid organ transplant program.
Sarah is an active leader within the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP), where she has served in numerous committee leadership roles. She currently serves as Past President Advisor and Chair-Elect of the Board of Directors Nominations Committee.
Her scholarly and professional interests center on pediatric psychosocial care, emotional safety, and simulation-based education. She contributes to simulation faculty development internationally through her work with INSPIRE (International Network for Simulation-based Pediatric Innovation, Research, & Education) and the International Pediatric Simulation Society (IPSS). Sarah made history as the first Child Life Specialist elected to the IPSS Board of Directors, where she recently completed her second term. In 2022, she was invited to deliver the inaugural INSPIRE Grand Rounds, focusing on integrating emotional and physical safety within simulation-based education. She has also served as faculty for the annual Weill Cornell/Columbia University Medical Center Simulation Basecamp in New York City.
Internationally recognized as a subject matter expert in pediatric psychosocial care, Sarah has collaborated with SickKids International and the Association of Child Life Professionals to provide education and consultation around the world. She currently serves on the Advisory Board of the Abdulrahman's Oasis Child Life Foundation in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Throughout her career, she has led pediatric psychosocial education and training initiatives in Austria, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Malaysia, Pakistan, Qatar, and South Africa. Most recently, she delivered the keynote address at the EMERG Conference in Karachi, Pakistan.
Sarah lives in Toronto, Ontario, with her husband, their two sons, and their dog, Rooey.
