Job Description

Physician Position in Palliative Care Services

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), South West Area invites applications for the position of a physician with special training or competence in palliative care management to provide physician leadership for Palliative Care Services in the South West 1 and South West 2 Area of the Province.

The successful incumbent will also provide palliative care services for days contacted, including some weekends and statutory holidays. The Physician Lead will provide a support service to palliative care clients and families to assist in meeting identified palliative needs including the assessment, management, treatment, and provision of compassionate care and comfortable measures for those persons facing life-limiting illness. They will provide medical direction and leadership as required to nurses, residents, and other members of the multi-disciplinary team regarding the management of patients, end-of-life decisions, and other palliative care issues while ensuring appropriate legible documentation, including history and physical examinations, management plan, follow-up plan, orders, and consultations is maintained on all patients.

Job Qualifications

Physician Lead Qualifications

The candidate will hold certification from the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) or from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Individuals with additional training in palliative medicine will deserve preference. Successful applicants will be eligible for a regular license to practice in Saskatchewan from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan (CPSS).

The successful candidate must be licensed by CPSS to practice and be able to prescribe initiation and maintenance opioid agonist therapy for persons with opioid dependence or be eligible and willing to obtain such licensure.

In accordance with immigration requirements, preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.

The successful applicant is encouraged to participate in the undergraduate, postgraduate, and continuing medical education programs in the SHA and may be appointed as an Assistant Professor at the University of Saskatchewan.

The start date for this position is immediate. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Additional Information

Responsibilities of the Physician Lead in Palliative Care Services

The Physician Lead will provide medical input into the review, development, and ongoing revision of protocols, policies, and procedures applicable to the Palliative Care Services program within the SHA. They will mentor other physicians providing Palliative Care Services to assist them in meeting generally accepted standards of medical care for palliative care patients and in practicing and/or providing leadership in the context of a multi-disciplinary team. The Physician Lead is expected to strengthen community support and awareness of Palliative Care Services by educating other physicians, physician office staff, team members (including volunteers), patients and family members, healthcare professionals not specializing in palliative care (such as home care, agency nursing staff, LINK Service, etc.), and the community. As a member of the multi-disciplinary team, the Physician Lead will share in the responsibility for educating other team members about effective medical interventions for terminally ill patients.

The successful incumbent will educate patients and families about the disease processes, pre-treatment options, the goals of palliative care, and other issues as required. Education is provided directly while visiting patients as the primary physician or as a palliative care consultant, or (indirectly) through staff education and writing educational materials. When available and applicable, the Physician Lead will participate in homecare team rounds, held on a weekly basis on a schedule that promotes multi-disciplinary care. They will attend selected family conferences and be available to mentor other members of the palliative health care team, including the primary health connected to the care team.

The Physician Lead will respond to patient-related questions from team members, family physicians, and specialists, and facilitate communications between providers at different sites as patients make the transition through the healthcare system. The successful incumbent will also participate in the development of care protocols, clinical practice guidelines, etc. to improve the standard of palliative care in the region and will participate in data collection and other quality improvement activities and program development. The Physician Lead will attend and participate in Palliative Care Services meetings as applicable.