The Pediatrics team at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH) is delighted to welcome Dr. Avi Kopstick, a pediatrician and fellowship-trained pediatric critical care specialist who is now practising in the Interior after years in the United States.
His clinical focus is matched by a deeply personal connection to pediatrics, one rooted in formative childhood experiences that have shaped not only his career path, but his commitment to supporting children and families during their most vulnerable moments.
Dr. Kopstick joins KGH at a pivotal time. The Pediatrics department has recently recruited multiple physicians with extensive pediatric critical care training. Among the team are physicians who have completed fellowships in British Columbia and internationally, creating a rare concentration of expertise.
Together, they see opportunity.
“There’s energy right now. The Interior is growing. We have to develop together,” he explains. “Over the next 10 or 20 years, this is what I hope to help build.”
A calling shaped by family and experience
When asked why he chose pediatrics, Dr. Kopstick jokes that it feels like he’s “interviewing for residency again.” But his answer comes easily—and goes back to childhood.
“I’ve always enjoyed taking care of kids,” he explains. Growing up in Toronto surrounded by younger cousins, he naturally gravitated toward babysitting and nurturing roles.
But one family experience profoundly shaped his path.
When Dr. Kopstick was young, one of his cousins suffered a brain injury as a toddler and was left in a persistent vegetative state. His cousin required ventilator support and lived for 16 years in a pediatric long-term care facility in Toronto.
“My family visited him every weekend or holiday,” Dr. Kopstick recalls. “I spent a lot of time at his bedside.”
Those years exposed him not only to his cousin’s journey but to many children with complex medical needs. He witnessed the dedication of specialized pediatric teams caring for vulnerable children and was inspired by the compassion and expertise required.
“I always thought I would grow up to help take care of kids just like my cousin.”
From pediatrics to pediatric critical care
During medical school, Dr. Kopstick briefly debated between obstetrics and pediatrics—until someone asked him a simple question:
“Do you enjoy delivering the baby, or do you just enjoy the baby part?”
“For me,” he laughs, “it was pretty much just the baby part.”
That clarity led him into pediatrics and eventually into pediatric critical care medicine. Today, he is a pediatric intensivist, specializing in the care of critically ill children.
He sometimes jokes with a touch of humour that he chose pediatrics because he “loves the sound of children crying.” But behind the humour lies clinical truth.
“In the delivery room or intensive care unit, a child’s cry means they’re breathing. They’re protecting their airway. They’re conscious. They’re vocalizing their needs,” he explains. “It’s music to my ears.”
Critical care medicine, he says, is both intellectually stimulating and deeply meaningful. The physiology is complex and fast-paced, and small interventions can have life-changing impacts. Children, he notes, often recover remarkably well, but even in tragedy, he sees purpose.
“Being present when families are facing the worst moment of their lives is a sacred privilege,” he says. With a strong focus on trauma-informed care, Dr. Kopstick strives to provide compassionate, personalized support when families need it most.
“If I can make the worst day of someone’s life just a little bit less unbearable, that’s the gift I have to give.”
Why Kelowna and why now?
Although much of his training and early career took place in the United States, Dr. Kopstick always had a desire to work in Canada one day.
The path was not straightforward. After attending medical school abroad, he pursued dual licensing exams and maintained Canadian credentials throughout his U.S. training.
“To finally receive my B.C. medical licence was a huge personal milestone,” he says. “When you’re Canadian and you become a doctor but can’t practise in your own country, it feels incomplete.”
When he interviewed in Kelowna, several things came together.
The Okanagan region’s natural beauty, welcoming community and active lifestyle appealed to him immediately. “The lake is glorious. The bike paths are incredible. I love hiking. The food is amazing,” he says.
Bringing cross-border experience home
Having practised extensively in both the United States and Canada, Dr. Kopstick speaks with genuine respect for the strengths of each system. He completed the majority of his residency and fellowship training in the U.S., describing it as the place “where I really learned my craft.”
“The training I received in the United States was exceptional,” he says. “I have tremendous respect for many of my colleagues working in the U.S. system. They are incredibly dedicated physicians doing outstanding work every day.” He credits his time there—from Brooklyn to Portland to El Paso—with shaping him into the physician he is today, particularly in the fast-paced, highly specialized environment of pediatric critical care.
At the same time, returning to Canada felt personally meaningful. “What I appreciate about the Canadian system is the strong commitment to universal access and the shared mission of caring for the whole community,” he says.
For Dr. Kopstick, that sense of collective responsibility is tangible at the bedside. He notes Canada’s emphasis on evidence-based care, professional accountability and continuous improvement as important strengths of the system.
While he recognizes that every health-care system faces challenges, he feels aligned with the foundational values of Canadian medicine.
“At the end of the day,” he says, “you can provide health care you’re proud of.”
A warm welcome and a bicycle
Six months into his role at KGH, Dr. Kopstick says the welcome from the community has been extraordinary.
“I’ll be in an ice cream shop and mention I’m a new pediatrician, and people immediately thank me for coming,” he says. “From the bank to the bike shop, everyone has been so welcoming.”
In fact, he didn’t even bring a car to Kelowna.
“I only brought a bicycle,” he says with a smile. “And I do not regret that choice. I bike everywhere and I love it.”
For a physician who values connection, community and accessibility, it’s a fitting symbol of how he hopes to practise medicine: grounded, present and close to home.
A message to the community
To families who may have been concerned about pediatric services in the past, Dr. Kopstick offers reassurance.
“There is real growth happening here,” he says. “There are dedicated people working hard to improve pediatric and acute care services in this region.”
And to physicians considering a move to Kelowna?
“This is a growing health-care system in a beautiful region with incredible opportunity,” he says. “There is meaningful work to be done.”
As Kelowna General Hospital continues strengthening its pediatric services, Dr. Kopstick’s combination of advanced expertise, long-term vision and heartfelt compassion marks an exciting new chapter for children’s health care in the Interior.
