The Division Head, Palliative Care, plays a crucial role in providing leadership and strategic direction within the Division of Palliative Care Medicine. The Division Head will help shape the practice and promote consistency in service delivery by developing, implementing and evaluating common clinical guidelines. This will ensure that services, interventions, and actions meet the needs and expectations of Osler’s patient population under palliative physician care. The Division Head will also facilitate the integration and standardization of services across all sites within Osler and serve as a key partner to the Ontario Health Team and other key regional partners in developing an integrated palliative health system for our community. Building on Osler’s current foundation for palliative care provision, the Division Head will assess the appropriateness of care, improve patient outcomes, and ensure timely provision of the right level of care in a location that best meets the needs of the patient and patients’ family. The Division Head will also play a key academic leadership role in collaboration with the Corporate Chief of Family and Community Medicine in our transition to an academic health centre in partnership with the Toronto Metropolitan University.
The Division Head will work collaboratively with the Corporate Chief of Family and Community Medicine, Deputy Chief and Site Chief of Family and Community Medicine and the Clinical Director of Palliative Care. They will play an instrumental role in further enhancing the program’s ability to provide integrated, accessible and quality service to the patients of Osler. The Division Head will be responsible for:
Regulatory
- Carry out relevant duties and responsibilities as defined in Osler’s Professional Staff Bylaw
- Assisting the Chief of Family and Community Medicine with oversight of adherence of professional staff with hospital bylaws, rules and regulations and other applicable policies
- Chair division meetings at minimum quarterly; meeting minutes to be forwarded to the Family and Community Chief of Medicine
- Attend Department of Medicine executive council meetings and advise the Chief of Family and Community Medicine on matters pertaining to the division in particular and/or to the department in general
- Assist the Chief of Family and Community Medicine with yearly reappointments of members of the Division of Palliative care
- Assist the Chief of Family and Community Medicine in the nomination of professional staff members for the supervision and mentoring of associate staff
- Provide oversight and advice for the continued development and advancement of the Palliative Care program across the organization to provide integrated, accessible and high-quality services, including academic priorities that are developed in collaboration with Toronto Metropolitan University
- Ensure delivery of optimum levels of care/service within the available allocated resources and assist in advocating and triaging priorities for resources
Service provision
- Provide the oversight to ensure that the services provided by the Division of Palliative Care meet the care needs of Osler’s population and standardize these services across the organization
- Oversight of the creation of the palliative care medicine schedule
- Provide professional medical expertise and knowledge to the program
- Address and resolve patient, caregiver and family concerns and/or issues in collaboration with the program dyad
- Demonstrate creative, flexible and professional knowledge in managing and mentoring program staff
- Foster an inclusive culture which promotes diversity, inclusion and equitable treatment of all members of the department
Staffing
- Submit a yearly manpower plan to the Chief of Family and Community Medicine considering service needs and teaching responsibilities within the academic health centre
- Select and advocate strategies to recruit and retain palliative care physicians at Osler
Quality improvement
- Establish quality improvement goals that will compose the Quality Improvement Plan for the Division of Palliative Care; where applicable the plan should align with the goals set through the Accreditation process
- Lead the implementation of the quality improvement plan
- Select a set of process and outcome indicators to track the performance of the division in achieving its QI goals, report on these indicators yearly to divisional membership and the Chief of Family and Community Medicine and the clinical director for the program
- Address and resolve risk management issues in collaboration with the Chief of Family and Community Medicine
Collaboration
- Collaborate with the corporate chief and clinical director in championing the strategic vision, goals and work plan for the program
- Promote medical professionalism with the Division, with the support of the Chief of Family and Community Medicine
- Support the corporate chief with the integration of academic activity and leadership within the department
- Develop and deliver on-going CME opportunities for physicians and staff
- Establish a collaborative relationship with Toronto Metropolitan University for the development of a palliative care program and preserve relationships with current medical schools
- Establish and maintain links with Osier's community partners, including the Ontario Palliative Care Network, Home and Community Care Support Services and Ontario Health Teams
- Working with community providers such as the Ontario Health Team and Ontario Health, neighbouring palliative programs and academic partners to develop a strong integrated model of care, extending beyond the hospital
- Collaborate with primary, secondary and tertiary level of care in order to provide integrated, safe and compassionate care across the system
Qualifications
- Certificate of Registration to practice from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario and hold a fellowship from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada or certificate in Family Medicine from the College of Family Physicians of Canada
- A certificate of added competency in Palliative Medicine is a requirement
- Experience in a physician leadership role is preferred
- License to practice and in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Sound critical thinking and problem solving skills
- Proven track record of attendance, punctuality and accountability
- Models behaviour that aligns with Osler’s Values of Respect, Excellence, Service, Compassion, Innovation and Collaboration
- Expertise in clinical teaching or clinical research preferred for those interested in education or research
- As Osler is the primary academic teaching centre for Toronto Metropolitan University’s medical learners, physicians are expected to apply for an academic appointment with the faculty of medicine
About the program
The Palliative Care program at Osler provides exceptional care to an extremely diverse and complex patient population. Osler is an officially designated site for the training of Royal College sub-specialty in Palliative Medicine and ESMO designated site of Integrated Oncology/Palliative Care. The Palliative Care program provides care to patients in a multitude of settings such as outpatient supportive and palliative care clinic, the inpatient medical oncology/palliative unit, long-term care, hospice, survivorship, virtual palliative care and community. Physicians collaborate with regional partners and participate in a regional network of palliative care providers for education and collective growth. Osler provides a safe practice environment and an exciting opportunity for physicians in all stages of their career.
About Osler
William Osler Health System (Osler) includes Brampton Civic Hospital, Etobicoke General Hospital and Peel Memorial Centre for Integrated Health and Wellness. Serving 1.3 million residents of Brampton, Etobicoke and surrounding communities within the central west region and nationally recognized for its commitment to patient safety. Osler is accredited with Exemplary Standing, the highest rating a Canadian hospital can receive.
Osler is an integral clinical partner in the development of Ontario’s new School of Medicine, in partnership with Toronto Metropolitan University and as part of its transition to an academic health centre. In addition, we are an affiliated academic community teaching site for the McMaster University Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine; Family Medicine Program, and there is ample opportunity to participate in clinical education with medical students and residents.
Submit CV and a brief cover letter to mso.recruitment@williamoslerhs.ca:
Attention: Dr. Brian Klar, Corporate Chief of Family and Community Medicine
