Head, Division of Rheumatology

The Department of Medicine of the Faculty of Medicine (Faculty), University of Ottawa (uOttawa) and The Ottawa Hospital (TOH/Hospital) is looking for a visionary leader with excellence in academic and clinical leadership to be its next Head of the Division of Rheumatology.

The successful candidate will lead a group of 12 full-time and four part-time academic rheumatologists. The ideal candidate will provide strong mentorship to trainees and faculty at all stages of their careers, help strengthen research capacity within the division, and help promote high-quality patient-centered care.

The Division of Rheumatology is renowned for delivering outstanding care to the Ottawa community and recognized for its innovative sub-specialty programs including musculoskeletal ultrasound, large vessel vasculitis ultrasound, and stem-cell transplant for connective tissue disease. Other specialty clinics provide excellent care in lupus, scleroderma, spondyloarthropathy, gout, pregnancy, and osteoporosis. We have developed a unique division-wide biologics clinic that serves as a patient-focused hub for those on systemic therapies. Our programs attract many national/international trainees. Members of the Division have a wide range of research skills, including translational research and epidemiology, with research focusing on musculoskeletal ultrasound, spondyloarthritis, scleroderma, stem cell transplantation, gout, systemic lupus erythematosus, and medical education. In addition to seeing patients in modern outpatient clinical units, the Division is responsible for covering inpatient consults at both campuses of The Ottawa Hospital (General and Civic).

The Ottawa Hospital is a 1,150-bed tertiary-care hospital serving Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec at four inpatient sites (Civic, General, Heart Institute, and the Rehabilitation Centre) and one ambulatory centre (Riverside). There are approximately 50,000 inpatient admissions, 160,000 emergency visits, and over one million outpatient visits annually.

Ground-breaking medical research is conducted through The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) and the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. We rank 5th in Canada for competitive, peer-reviewed grants from the prestigious Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Over 2,300 researchers are publishing more than 2,200 studies yearly, with hundreds being high-impact publications (top 10% of citations).

The Department of Medicine is a research-intensive Department. Members currently hold 25 University Research Chairs, two of which are held by members of the Rheumatology Division. The Department receives approximately $60 million per year in external research funding and members publish approximately 1,200 peer-reviewed publications annually.

The Faculty of Medicine is a nationally recognized leader, ranked among Canada’s top-tier medical faculties. As the most research-intensive Faculty at the University of Ottawa, the Faculty of Medicine contributes significantly to the University being ranked 5th in the country for total research revenues (Research InfoSource), routinely 2nd or 3rd in Canada for research intensity in Medicine/Science grants (McLean’s), 4th in Canada for citations (2022 THE rankings), and 1st for overall growth in Tri-council funding over the past two decades. The University of Ottawa is the largest bilingual (English/French) university in the world and the Faculty of Medicine is the largest bilingual medical school in Canada. The Faculty of Medicine has a long history of conducting the highest quality basic and clinical research, in close partnership with five affiliated academic hospitals and six research institutes. The Web of Science recently published a list of the most highly cited researchers in the world, where seven out of eight researchers identified from uOttawa are from the Faculty of Medicine. Together, these remarkable achievements are a strong testament to the competitiveness and excellence of our Faculty that extend to all our educational programs.

The City of Ottawa provides a thriving multicultural and bilingual environment. Ottawa boasts numerous cultural activities as well as readily accessible sporting and natural resources, making it an ideal family and healthy living environment.

The Division Head is accountable to the Chair/Head of the Department of Medicine in fulfilling the mission, vision, and goals of the Department, the Hospital, and the Faculty, as they relate to the Division, with the aim of setting annual goals and objectives. The Division Head holds a joint appointment as the Division head for academics (university) and Division Head for clinical services (hospital). The Division Head is part of the leadership team of the Department of Medicine, working with the department, hospital, and faculty leadership.

The Division Head and the hospital’s administrative lead work in partnership with shared accountability to ensure TOH’s vision, mission, and goals are being met. The medical-administrative dyad is responsible for strategic planning, overall performance, engagement, quality, operations, budget, capital, and service planning. This leadership dyad works together to drive clinical and organizational excellence, reduce silos, increase transparency, and improve accountability for performance and outcomes at the division level.

The ideal candidate will be a nationally/internationally respected leader and scholar, with advanced interpersonal skills, who has demonstrated academic and clinical excellence. The individual will help shape the overall vision and strategic direction for the Division, which aims to innovate, support, and practice the highest quality patient-centered care, research, and education.

The successful candidate must hold an MD degree; be a member of, or be eligible to be a member of, the Canadian Medical Protective Association; have, or be eligible for certification in Rheumatology by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada; have, or be eligible for, licensure in Ontario; and hold or be eligible for an academic appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor or above at the University of Ottawa.

The University of Ottawa and The Ottawa Hospital are bilingual institutions and therefore in the case of potentially successful candidates of equal ability, a bilingual (French/English) candidate would be preferred.

The income for this position is derived from a variety of sources including but not limited to clinical billings (fee-for-service), salary support (AFP), as well as honorariums/stipends. Health and welfare benefits including extended health, dental and disability insurance as well as life insurance are offered to full-time physicians.

The Department of Medicine is committed to upholding the values of equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in our living, learning, and work environments. We encourage qualified applicants from all groups with historical and/or current barriers to equity to apply. Upon request, accommodations due to a disability are available throughout the recruitment process.

Please note Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority. We sincerely thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Please forward a 1-2 page letter of intent, 3 references (who will not be contacted without permission), and a CV to Dr. Greg Knoll, Chair/Head Department of Medicine at The Ottawa Hospital and University of Ottawa at domcareers@toh.ca.