Public Health and Preventive Medicine

Overview In accordance with the Vision, Purpose, and Values, and strategic direction of the Vancouver Island Health Authority (Island Health), patient and staff safety is a priority and a responsibility shared by everyone. Island Health is committed to culturally safe health and care, respecting Indigenous health and wellness beliefs, practices, customs and ceremonies, unique to Vancouver Island First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples. Island Health has an opening for Medical Health Officer (MHO) to provide expert public health leadership for policies, programs and services to improve health and reduce health inequities in a diverse population of 916,000. The position is located in North Vancouver Island (Comox Valley, Campbell River, and surrounding communities) and offers opportunities to work with a team of Medical Health Officers supporting a population of 455,000 in Central and North Vancouver Island. Responsibilities Provide medical leadership for public health services, population health assessment, and community engagement within assigned geographic areas. Enforce all public health legislation in assigned areas and, from time to time, other geographies within Island Health. Monitor and assess population health in collaboration with Island Health’s Population Health Surveillance, Assessment and Epidemiology team and provincial partners. Interpret population health indicators for the executive team, external partners, municipalities and the public to inform programs and policies. Identify and address community health priorities through policies, programs and services. Provide population health leadership on community health assessment, health inequities, and partnerships to address underlying determinants of health. Foster relationships with local government, education sectors, Indigenous communities and other partners to improve health; link with local, regional, and provincial agencies as required. Act as Public Health and Preventive Medicine consultant; participate in planning to improve population health and reduce health inequities. Manage cases of communicable diseases and large outbreaks; provide direction to nursing and environmental health staff. Coordinate and evaluate designated core programs in public health with Population & Public Health Directors/Managers. Participate in policy design, delivery and evaluation; help develop short- and long-range goals. Collaborate on public health emergency planning and response; advise clinicians on vaccination, communicable diseases and health hazards. Participate in after-hours on-call rotation with the MHO team and serve as a knowledge resource for public health issues and core programs. Responsibilities (Administrative and Legal) Hold an Order in Council and fulfill statutory responsibilities of the Medical Health Officer under the Public Health Act and related legislation. Report on population health to advance public health programs and healthy public policies. Serve as drinking water officer for Vancouver Island. Act as School Medical Health Officer for the region. Provide oversight for investigations related to licensed community care facilities as required by relevant acts. Quality Improvement, Research, Evaluation, and Training Participate in Public Health Quality Councils and Clinical Governance Improvement Initiative committees. Supervise or co-supervise residents and other trainees; participate in teaching in Island Medical Program and UBC Public Health and Preventive Medicine Residency Program. Undertake or participate in funded public health research with appropriate ethics approvals, including collaboration with regional, provincial, federal agencies or academic institutions. Qualifications Medical Doctor and a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in Public Health and Preventive Medicine. Medical License from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia. Skills and Abilities Demonstrated leadership with strong interpersonal, communication, and strategic thinking skills; commitment to client-focused services and teamwork. Evidence-informed practice; ability to integrate administrative, professional and operational aspects of public health programs. Ability to foster a quality improvement culture and continuous improvement of programs. Compensation Compensation Type: Salary #J-18808-Ljbffr