Department Head, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology (OBGYN)

BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre

0.5 FTE

Vancouver, British Columbia

 

BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre (BCWH), part of the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA), is seeking an accomplished physician leader to serve as Department Head, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology. This role provides strategic leadership for OBGYN services at a provincial tertiary centre, advancing clinical excellence, quality and safety, and academic collaboration with the University of British Columbia (UBC). The Department Head, OBGYN, reports to the Chief Medical Officer for BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre.

  

Key Responsibilities

  

Leadership

• As the site leader of the BCWH Dept of OBGYN, ensure representation of the department at provincial, regional and local levels in relation to the hospital mandate, and clinical and academic matters, in partnership with the UBC Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (UBC Dept of OBGYN).      
• Participate on regional committees and in relevant activities and initiatives, as required, either directly and/or through designates from the BCWH Dept of OBGYN.
• Contribute to the formulation of the mission, strategic directions and goals of BCWH, and ensure alignment with the strategic plans and objectives of the BCWH Dept of OBGYN.
• Provide leadership and coordination with respect to the engagement and participation of BCWH Dept of OBGYN physicians in hospital activities including: evaluation of the accessibility, efficiency, quality and delivery of obstetrical and gynecological services; medical audits; peer and interdisciplinary reviews; chart reviews; and patient quality and safety event reviews.
• Represent the BCWH Dept of OBGYN in relevant hospital and UBC committees as requested by the BCWH CMO, directly and/or through designates where appropriate, including, but not limited to:

 

1.   UBC Dept of OBGYN Executive Committee
2.   BC Women’s + BC Children’s Hospitals Medical Advisory Committee (CW MAC)
3.   BCWH Executive Quality + Safety Committee (EQSC)
4.   BCWH Maternal Newborn Program’s Patient Quality Committee (co-chair)
5.   BC Women’s + BC Children’s Executive Leadership Committee for Indigenous Cultural Safety (CW ELC)

   

• Provide leadership in the specialty towards improving service delivery and health outcomes of populations served by BCWH programs. This includes ensuring active participation of the BCWH Dept of OBGYN in BCWH/PHSA continuous quality improvement activities.

• In collaboration with BCWH Program leadership, support efficient and effective use of hospital resources in support of high-quality patient care, through relevant BCWH Dept of OBGYN strategic, operational and human resources planning.
• Demonstrate leadership support of BCWH/PHSA policies and initiatives to foster and ensure a culturally safe environment that is respectful and trauma-informed, through participation in relevant activities as requested by the BCWH CMO either directly or through delegates from the BCWH Dept of OBGYN.

• Provide oversight and supervision for the BCWH Dept of Ob/Gyn resident-led maternity ambulatory clinic for non-resident pregnant people without means (“New Beginnings Clinic”), in partnership with BCWH Program leadership.

• Chair regular BCWH Dept of OBGYN meetings and facilitate the engagement of the physicians in department organizational planning and activities, towards the aim of ensuring that patient safety and quality of care requirements are met, as per the CW/PHSA Medical Staff Rules. Ensure regular circulation of meeting minutes to the BCWH CMO to support ongoing communication and connection to department matters.

• Undertake relevant leadership development activities in consultation with, and supported by, the BCWH CMO.

 

Planning

  

• Provide leadership in the development and implementation of BCWH Dept of OBGYN goals and objectives for clinical, education, education and research activities, through engagement of department physicians, and in partnership with the UBC Dept of OBGYN and BCWH/PHSA, to ensure alignment of strategic plans and aims.
• In collaboration with the UBC Dept of OBGYN, participate in and support training and education activities towards the aim of ensuring an appropriate and effective health human resource plan that serves the strategic priorities and needs of patient populations in BC.
• Ensure and support representation of the BCWH Dept of OBGYN in all relevant hospital planning and evaluation activities, including site redevelopment initiatives and any service planning activities that impact the delivery of obstetrical and gynecological care of patient populations within the mandate of BCWH/PHSA.

 

 Human Resources & Physician Workforce 

• Provide leadership in health human resource planning in OBGYN specialty through ensuring BCWH Dept of OBGYN participation and contribution to any relevant local, regional and provincial activities and committees; this may include engaging and collaborating with other medical specialties in related activities and committees that impact the area of OBGYN specialty.
• In collaboration with the CW/PHSA Medical Affairs, BCWH CMO, BCWH Senior Medical Directors and other hospital leaders, contribute to the development and implementation of an effective BCWH Dept of OBGYN human resource plan, including articulation of the financial, space and resources required to support the Dept’s goals and objectives.
• In partnership with the leaders of the UBC Dept of OBGYN, BCWH Department and Division Heads, develop and maintain a current health human resources plan for the BCWH Dept of OBGYN and its Divisions. Ensure that the scope of this plan meets the operating parameters of the hospital and is consistent with the hospital and university’s strategic directions so that recruitment of new BCWH medical staff is in accordance with the plan.
• Oversee the hiring, credentialing, and review of associate physicians as they function within the BCWH Dept of OBGYN, including work assignments, scheduling, and maintenance of competence.       Participate in advocacy for sustainment of the associate physician program in the specialty as needed.      
• Support interdisciplinary team development strategies and activities in recognition that team-based care is foundational to the effective service delivery of obstetric and gynecological services at BCWH.

 

 Credentialing, Privileging and Performance Review

 

• Provide leadership responsibility for peer review and other processes required for credentialing and privileging of medical staff in the BCWH Dept of OBGYN.
• Provide leadership responsibility for peer review and other processes required for credentialing and privileging of medical staff in the BCWH Dept of OBGYN.
• Ensure medical staff coverage for the care of any patient/client of a BCWH Dept of OBGYN member who fails to attend to the patient/client, or whose privileges have been suspended or terminated.

 

Clinical Care

 

• Provide leadership and expertise in the development of standards of practice/ guidelines in the delivery of clinical care services and ensure adherence to continuous quality/performance improvement initiatives.
• In collaboration with BCWH/PHSA clinical staff, program operational leaders, and the BCWH CMO, participate in the monitoring, measurement and reporting, and improvement activities related to clinical guidelines, patient quality/safety initiatives, accreditation and regulatory requirements.
• Provide medical expertise and guidance to the development of BCWH key quality and performance indicators for patient quality care and safety outcomes.
• Work collaboratively with BCWH program operational leaders, OB call group heads, and the BCWH CMO on health human resources, scheduling and operational issues related to the provision of obstetrical and gynecological services at BCWH.

 

Education / Research

 

• Collaborates with the appropriate UBC department administration and faculty to support research and education within and beyond the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology.

 

Qualifications 

 

This position requires a Medical Doctor degree with current licensure or eligibility for licensure with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia (CPSBC), certification in Obstetrics and Gynecology as a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in Canada or equivalent, extensive clinical experience in OBGYN and previous academic leadership experience within an existing OBGYN program, and 10+ years of experience in a senior leadership role.

 

  

The successful candidate will also demonstrate a commitment to beginning and continuing their personal learning journey related to Indigenous-specific racism and dismantling systems of oppression, as well as addressing racism more broadly. Shows willingness to articulate and share their learning experiences to contribute to a culture of motivation and inspiration among peers.

 

As a strong asset for consideration, we are looking for our successful candidate to have: Foundational knowledge of the social, economic, and political realities of settler-colonialism and its impacts on Indigenous peoples and equity-deserving groups within social and health contexts. Understands the impact of social determinants of health-on-health outcomes. Shows a commitment to learning about and upholding legislative obligations and provincial commitments outlined in foundational documents such as the Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action (2015), In Plain Sight (2020), BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019), United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Reclaiming Power and Place: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls Calls for Justice (2019), the Declaration Act Action Plan, Remembering Keegan: A First Nations Case Study, the BC Human Rights Code, Anti-Racism Data Act, and the Distinctions Based Approach.

 

Contact

 

Applications, accompanied by a cover letter, detailed curriculum vitae, and the name, title, rank and contact information of four references, should be directed to:

 

Heather Finn

Advisor, Talent Acquisition – Physician Recruitment

Email: physicianrecruitment@phsa.ca

  

What we do 

 

  

BC Women's Hospital + Health Centre is the only facility in British Columbia devoted primarily to the health of women, birthers, newborns and families. It provides a broad range of specialized women’s health services that address the health needs of women of all ages and backgrounds. BC Women’s is one of the largest maternity facilities in Canada, with over 7,000 births a year, and is both the major primary and secondary maternity services provider in the Lower Mainland and the cornerstone of the provincial tertiary care system. As an academic health centre, our mandate includes providing strong leadership in research and the education and professional development of health care professionals in areas related to the health of the populations we serve. BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre is a program of the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA).

  

PHSA plans, manages and evaluates specialized health services with the BC health authorities to provide equitable and cost-effective health care for people throughout the province. Our values reflect our commitment to excellence and include: Respect people – Be compassionate – Dare to innovate – Create equity – Be courageous.

  

Learn more about PHSA and our programs: jobs.phsa.ca/programs-and-services

  

PHSA and BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre are committed to anti-racism and equity in our hiring and employment practices. With learning and compassion, we are addressing existing inequities and barriers throughout our systems. PHSA is seeking to create a diverse workforce and to establish an inclusive and culturally safe environment. We invite applications and enquiries from all people, particularly those belonging to the historically, systemically, and/or persistently excluded groups identified under the B.C. Human Rights Code.

  

One of PHSA’s North Star priorities is to eradicate Indigenous-specific racism, which includes ongoing commitments to Indigenous recruitment and employee experience as well as dismantling barriers to health care employment at every level. We welcome Indigenous individuals to apply and/or contact the Sanya’k̓ula Team (Indigenous Recruitment & Employee Experience) for support at indigenous.employment@phsa.ca.

 

Indigenous-specific anti-racism initiatives are rooted in addressing the unique forms of discrimination, historical and ongoing injustices, and exclusion faced by Indigenous peoples. These initiatives align with an Indigenous rights-based approach, recognizing the inherent rights and title of BC First Nations and self-determination of all First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities. PHSA is mandated to uphold legislative obligations and provincial commitments found in the foundational documents including the Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action (2015), In Plain Sight (2020), BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019), United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Reclaiming Power and Place Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls Calls for Justice (2019), the Declaration Act Action Plan and Remembering Keegan: A First Nations Case Study.