Careers
Medical Director
Reporting to Executive Director Fractional Role
Position Summary
Reporting to the Executive Director, the Medical Director provides oversight and supervision for medical practice and medical education in the hospice residence. The Medical Director provides leadership to hospice physicians and contributes to the development and ongoing learning of interdisciplinary staff and students involved in care delivery. This role promotes the delivery of high-quality, evidence-based hospice palliative care within an interdisciplinary model that ensures safe, compassionate, and person-centered care for residents and their families. The Medical Director works collaboratively with the Director of Residential Care on ongoing program development and clinical quality improvement, ensuring the consistent application of best practices, accreditation standards, and applicable legislation. The Medical Director provides advice and guidance on clinical policies and standards of care and plays an active role in the identification, assessment, and mitigation of potential clinical risks and liabilities. The Medical Director also ensures that appropriate physician coverage and on-call arrangements are in place to support continuous access to medical care. The Medical Director advances Neshama Hospice’s mission, vision, and values through collaborative clinical practice, education, research, and healthcare sector engagement.Key Responsibilities
Medical Leadership and Clinical Oversight
- Establish and oversee the physician care model for the Hospice Residence.
- Provide oversight and supervision of medical practice in the Hospice Residence, ensuring high standards of evidence-based, ethical, and person-centred hospice palliative care aligned with hospice policies.
- Provide clinical expertise and leadership to the identification, assessment, and mitigation of clinical risk.
- Actively participate in the review of clinical incidents, adverse events, and near misses, and provide medical leadership for related quality improvement initiatives.
- Involved in hospice wide issues such as infection prevention or outbreak.
- Advance hospice leadership in research, scholarship, and health-sector engagement in alignment with the Executive Director and the strategic plan.
Physician Leadership, Coverage, and Risk Management
- Attract and retain an adequate complement of qualified, credentialed physicians to meet Hospice Residence needs.
- Verify physician credentials, licensure, and good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario on an annual basis.
- Develop and maintain physician schedules to ensure 24/7 medical coverage.
- Establish and monitor expectations for attending physicians, including resident visit frequency and off-site availability.
- Develop and implement medical directives and medical risk management policies, in collaboration with hospice leadership, including partnering with leadership in proactive issues management planning.
- Review with Executive Director any physician performance or compliance issues in accordance with physician agreements and hospice policies and collaborate on actions to be taken.
- Provide consultation and escalation support to clinical staff when required.
Attending Physician Responsibilities
- Assume attending physician responsibility, or assign an appropriate delegate, for residents without a designated Most Responsible Physician.
- Facilitate access to specialty consultation in support of residents’ goals of care.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Program Development
- Work in partnership with the Director of Residential Care within a shared leadership model.
- Participate in weekly interdisciplinary rounds or ensure appropriate physician representation.
- Contribute to the ongoing development of the Hospice Residence program in alignment with best practices and accreditation standards.
Education and Professional Development
- Provide medical leadership and support continuing education for hospice physicians.
- Contribute to the education and professional development of interdisciplinary staff and learners involved in care delivery.
Governance, Advisory, and Partnership Role
- Advise the Executive Director and collaborate with the Director of Care on clinical policies, standards of care, and quality initiatives.
- Participate as a member of the Quality Committee.
- Contribute to accreditation readiness, quality reporting, and organizational planning, and the work of the Development and Communications team.
Professional Accountability
- Practice in accordance with hospice policies, applicable legislation, and professional standards, including privacy, infection prevention and control, and Medical Assistance in Dying.
- Maintain professional competence through continuing medical education and engagement with best practices in palliative care.
Qualifications
- Legally qualified medical practitioner licensed and in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.
- Certification from the College of Family Physicians of Canada with a certificate of competence in Palliative Care or equivalent, or Fellowship in Palliative Medicine from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
- Minimum five years of clinical experience in palliative care, including hospice, residential, or complex community-based settings.
- Demonstrated experience providing medical leadership within an interdisciplinary health care environment.
- Knowledge of quality improvement, patient safety, risk management, infection prevention, clinical governance, accreditation standards, and applicable Ontario legislation relevant to hospice palliative care.
- Experience contributing to medical education, mentorship, or professional development of physicians and clinical staff.
- Strong communication, collaboration, and professional judgment skills appropriate to a senior medical leadership role.
- Satisfactory Vulnerable Sector Screening required.
