Posting: EB25:161

Position: FT Irreg I-EMCT

Location: Patient Transfer Network (PTN)

Position(s): 2 (two)

Posted: April 22, 2025

Closed: May 05, 2025

Start Date: ASAP / as operationally required

Training Dates: (if required) September 15, 2025

 

BCAS intends to fill 2 (two) vacancies for a Full-Time Irregularly Scheduled Interfacility Emergency Medical Calltaker (I-EMCT) in the Patient Transfer Network (PTN).

 

Open to all post probationary EMDs, I-EMCTs / EMCTs, as noted below

 

 Applicants to both EMD and EMCT positions are selected based on Article 13.01 for qualified bargaining unit applicants and 13.04 for unqualified internal and external applicants.

 

Please note, employees accepting any Regular position under the Collective Agreement will not be entitled to rescind an accepted offer after 61 days of accepting the offer.  Regular and Irregular employees may only rescind within the 61 days after acceptance.  You will also be required to report to your new position within the 61 days of acceptance.  Employees that rescind an offer at any time are not guaranteed to be placed back into their current/prior position.

 

 

The Interfacility Emergency Medical Call Taker (I-EMCT) is the first point of contact when health care facilities, health care professionals, physicians and nurses, request emergent, urgent, unscheduled care and/or repatriation of patients between health care facilities. The role gathers critical information from the caller and/or hospital medical teams, uses approved protocols and systems to assess the patient transfer requirements and notifies dispatch to send the most appropriate resource. The information gathered is critical and requires understanding of clinical details that will affect the decisions regarding medical services that a patient requires. The role is high pressure, fast paced and includes coordination of emergency patient transfers in which the patient’s life, limb or organs are imminently threatened with potential negative outcomes. The role shows care, compassion and consideration to health authority staff dealing with highly distressing and emotional circumstances and uses persuasive and negotiating skills when handling calls where the caller is confrontational and uncooperative.

 

The I-EMCT facilitates conference calls between sending and receiving physicians, accurately documents summaries that include detailed information and interpretation regarding the patient condition, medical terminology, pharmaceutical information and any other details to support the transfer of care, including identifying the need for additional specialized physician support on the call. In addition, the I-EMCT is also required to contact external and internal partners to ensure exceptional service is provided to our patients and community.

 

Duties 

• Receives and processes all incoming requests from health care professionals, physicians and nurses, for request to transport patients to the appropriate level of care, by confirming information with the caller, inputting detailed medical and non-medical information into a computer, along with any additional information provided by the physician or delegate at a hospital. Follows health authority algorithms, policies and procedures to determine the best course of movement for the patient.
• Assess all calls as efficiently and accurately as possible using policies and interpretation of triage protocols while ensuring consistency with current guidelines and regulations. Listens for critical patient requests to ensure coordination to the transport appropriate level of care. Remains familiar with provincial and regional referral pathways and associated protocols.
• Completes the required electronic records in an accurate and timely manner, documenting all required information and ensuring patient confidentiality is upheld and maintained. Maintains accurate documentation in the patient record and communication between health care providers.
• Provides accurate and relevant information to appropriate parties such as Critical Care Paramedic Advisor (CCPA), Dispatch, other physicians and access and flow at hospitals.
• Arranges teleconference calls between the sending and receiving physicians or delegate to facilitate transfer requests. Documents physician teleconference calls into the computerized database. Confirms with receiving health care facility regarding available bed options prior to transfers.
• Functions as a liaison by contacting patient flow and access teams at different health care facilities and exchanging related information regarding patient transfer requests to confirm bed availability, which can include out of province or country placements. Processes daily patient transfer assignments in order of acuity level, depending on transfer timeframes agreed upon by sending and receiving physicians. Notifying other agencies as required in accordance with established policies and guidelines.
• Monitors transfer timeframes and engages sending and receiving physicians as well as BCEHS Emergency Physician Online Support (EPOS) and CCPA to ensure that the patient is accepted and a bed is offered within the agreed upon timeframe.
• Gathers transport care requirements required for the BCEHS dispatcher to assign the most appropriate crew and resource.
• Adheres to all protocols, procedures and practice guidelines relative to the call receiving function, as provided through ongoing training and continuing dispatch education. Maintains educational requirements of BCEHS. Follows policy and procedure and report any issues to the appropriate supervisor.
• Achieve daily individual key performance indicators by adhering to dispatch standards, as well as the established roles and responsibilities.
• Interacts with incoming callers from various partners and agencies, providing information within their area of knowledge and referral to the Charge Supervisor or designate as appropriate.
• Participates in quality improvement and advocates for patient centered care in patient care activities by identifying problems and/or inconsistencies, as well as opportunities for improvement, providing feedback and recommendations, and escalating issues to PTN Supervisor.
• Supports the collection and reporting of information related to inquiries as required.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications: 

 

Education, Training and Experience

• Graduation from a Nursing Unit Clerk/ Medical Office Assistant program plus one-year recent related experience or an equivalent combination of education, training

      •Qualified Emergency Medical Dispatcher (EMD) or;

      •Qualified Interfacility Emergency Medical Call Taker (I-EMCT) 

      •Current relevant equivalent dispatcher experience : Qualified Emergency Medical Call Taker (EMCT) with a minimum of 1 year experience 

 

Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrated ability to maintain mental resilience in a high pressure environment and remain focused while coordinating emergency patient transfers, including facilitating and listening to conference calls outlining traumatic detailed information regarding severe conditions where the patient’s life, limb or organs are imminently threated with potential negative outcomes.
• Working knowledge of policies and procedures, standard operating guidelines, and province-wide geography.
• Demonstrate ability and dexterity in handling call-taking using computerized database, multi-line telephone.
• Understanding of the phonetic alphabet which is commonly used for radiotelephone communications.
• Ability to multi-task and manages changing priorities and competing demands to accomplish objectives and adapt quickly in a dynamic, busy, fast-paced environment.
• Ability to remain calm and have resilience in a fast-paced and high stress environment.
• Ability to analyze and solve problems, identify key factors and underlying causes and generate solutions.
• Proficiency and continued education of the medical and organizational terminology.
• Technology literacy across various platforms and devices.
• Ability to type 45 wpm with high accuracy.
• Demonstrate the use of critical thinking and sound judgment when making decisions along with active listening
• Ability to communicate effectively (both written and verbal) under stressful conditions and maintain professional, courteous, respectful relationships with all callers & patients, colleagues, other emergency and health care providers.
• Exceptional customer service experience and the ability to cooperatively interact with diverse teams.
• Work to the organizational requirements regarding patient safety events, and in identifying risks inclusive of capturing any appropriate information that will assist with investigations or complaints.
• Self-motivated to ensure that all relevant training identified by the employer is completed, ensuring you are fully conversant of changes in working practice that directly impact the individual’s responsibilities.
• Support the organization with developments and initiatives by being fully involved and engaged in trials of both role and organizational changes.
• Physical ability to carry out the duties of the position.
• Ability to operate related equipment.

 

Additional Skills & Knowledge

 

• Awareness of and commitment to learning and understanding the Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action (2015), In Plain Sight Report (2020), BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019), and Reclaiming Power and Place Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls calls for justice, and how they intersect across the health care system.
• Supports team members on their learning journey, ensuring education strategy for team/department to implement Indigenous Cultural Safety at a practical level.
• Works collaboratively with appropriate Indigenous teams/departments to ensure ICS lens applied holistically.
• Commitment to upholding the shared responsibility of creating lasting and meaningful reconciliation in Canada as per TRC (2015) and BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019).
• As a strong asset for consideration, we are looking for our successful candidate to have: Knowledge of social, economic, political and historical realities impacting indigenous communities and familiarity with Indigenous Cultural Safety and anti-racism and accompanying reports (BC DRIPA, TRC, etc.).

  

Application Tip:  After applying and clicking on submit – please go to your profile page and confirm that you see your application in the Application History section (go back to job page, log in at the bottom of page and this takes you directly to your profile page, your application history is at the top of the page).  Please reach out to internalrecruitment@bcehs.ca if you have any questions.

 

BC Emergency Health Services employees are advised that Talent Acquisition will only contact employees regarding this employment bulletin using the employee’s contact information contained in the Employee Records & Benefits (ERB) HR system or BCEHS Email.

 

It is very important that your contact information is up to date with ERB. If you would like to make changes to your contact information, you can complete a form to do so and submit it to Records and Benefits. You can find the form at: Employee Address Change Form (the form may take a few minutes to load).

 

If you expect to be away, or unable to answer your telephone after the posting closing date please email a proxy acceptance to the BCEHS Recruitment Help Desk at: InternalRecruitment@bcehs.ca.

 

We are here to help – If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the BCEHS Recruitment Help Desk:

 

Phone: 604-675-7470

Toll Free: 1-844-675-7470

Email: InternalRecruitment@bcehs.ca

Hours: 08:30 – 16:30, Monday to Friday (excluding Statutory Holidays)

 

We invite you to apply by clicking the "Apply Online Now" button where you can register for the first time or enter your Username and Password in order to re-access your profile on our system.  REMEMBER USE YOUR PHSA ID # AND PLEASE ENSURE YOUR CURRENT CONTACT INFORMATION IS ON RECORD.