Hospitalists, Complex Continuing Care - London, ON

St. Joseph’s Health Care London
Parkwood Institute

Hospitalist, Complex Continuing Care

Background

The Complex Continuing Care Program at Parkwood Institute operates 97 beds that are supported by Family Medicine physicians with 14 of these beds covered by physicians with a focus in Palliative Care.  At the present time, coverage for the 15 bed Transitional Care Unit is provided by one Family Medicine physician.  Historically, the remaining 68 beds were covered by three community-based Family Medicine physicians.

Family Medicine physician retirements will impact the Complex Continuing Care Program with a resulting gap in physician coverage.  As of December 2015, there is a gap in physician coverage for 30 beds.  Projected physician retirements and transitions could result in a gap in coverage of 62 of 68 beds by September 2016.

The complex care and continuing care service mandate is changing, and, in addition to chronic care, the service is playing a more active role in transitioning patients to the community. This has created a need for a more consistent physician presence on the unit.  Patients within the Complex Continuing Care Program are being aligned with three service mandates: (i) restorative care (target length of stay of 90days); (ii) short stay medically complex care (target length of stay of 90 days); and (iii) long term medically complex care. There is an expectation from our partners that the Complex Continuing Care Program be positioned to admit patients, at minimum, five days per week.

Currently, the after-hours support for the Complex Continuing Care Program is a shared responsibility with the physicians supporting the Veteran’s Care Program with one-in-eight coverage for evenings and weekends.

Posting

We invite applications for two Hospitalist positions in the Complex Continuing Care Program.  Each hospitalist will serve in a 0.5 FTE role for a one year term with possible extension beyond that time. Position responsibilities are listed below.

Complex Continuing Care Hospitalist Position Description and Responsibilities, (0.5 FTE)

As a hospitalist, you will work within a supportive team environment alongside a hospitalist colleague, family physicians, nursing staff and allied health to provide care to inpatients.

Clinical care and services will be coordinated with a hospitalist colleague also in a 0.5 FTE role and who will provide care for up to 35 complex care patients as assigned.  Each hospitalist will be assigned patients, in collaboration with other physicians and the service coordinator, from each of the three mandates described above in an effort to provide equal billing opportunities and clinical care loads.

You will be responsible to the Chief of Family Medicine, through the Family Medicine Site Chief for Parkwood Institute, for the clinical care and associated duties for patients assigned in the Complex Continuing Care Program excluding palliative care patients and those patients admitted to the Transitional Care Unit.

You will provide clinical care for up to 35 complex care patients including admissions and discharges, and rounds within the context of a 0.5 FTE work week.

You will participate in the call group for complex care and veteran’s care patients at Parkwood Institute; at present this is approximately one weekday night in eight and one weekend in eight.

You will provide urgent and/or emergency care to any complex care patients in crisis on the unit when necessary.

You will work collaboratively with community-based family physicians that are providing care to patients on the Complex Continuing Care Unit.

You will coordinate with family physicians and hospitalist colleague to provide full coverage for the clinical care needs of complex care patients at Parkwood Institute including coverage for vacation and holidays.

You will participate in hospital committee work related to complex care at Parkwood Institute as required and as assigned by the Family Medicine Site Chief or the Chief of Family Medicine.

Remuneration

Each hospitalist position is assigned as a 0.5 FTE role with a base salary of $50,000 paid monthly.  The hospitalist will retain 100 percent of the Fee for Service billings for clinical care provided.

Physicians participating in the Veterans Care and Complex Continuing Care call schedule will be eligible for any Hospital On Call Coverage (HOCC) funds available from the Ministry of Health through the Citywide Department of Family Medicine.

Qualifications

The skill set of a family physician is ideally suited to this role; however, applications from physicians from other disciplines will be considered on their merits.

All candidates must be eligible for membership with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario and hold CCFP or equivalent certification. The successful candidate must be eligible for privileging with the Department of Family Medicine.

Term

Each hospitalist position is for a one-year term with possible extension.

Applications will continue to be accepted until each position is filled.

Interested candidates should provide a letter of application and curriculum vitae to

Dr. Stephen Wetmore
Chief, Citywide Department of Family Medicine
Email: [email protected] 

Citywide Department of Family Medicine
University Hospital 
339 Windermere Road, Room C10-005
P.O. Box 5339, Station B
London, Ontario 
N6A 4G5