Come work as a Medical Director, Research & Evaluation, Substance Use and Priority Services with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH)!

The Medical Director of Research and Evaluation (MDoRE), Substance Use and Priority Populations, will collaborate with designated senior leadership to provide strategic direction and oversight to support implementation of high-quality research and evaluation activities within the Vancouver Coastal Health Region. The MDoRE will support innovative research, quality improvement and evaluation of programs using a population focus, to inform implementation of evidence-based practices and effective delivery of programs/services targeting priority populations, including those with substance use disorder. 

Reporting to the Vice President, Public Health and Chief Medical Health Officer, and collaborating jointly with the VCH Executive Director for Substance Use and Priority Populations, the Regional Addiction Program Medical Director, the STOP HIV Regional Medical Director, VCH Medical Health Officers, and Providence Health Urban Health and Substance Use Program Leadership, MDoRE will support all aspects of research and evaluation to ensure effective implementation of the Regional Addiction Program strategy, whose guiding principles, goals, and objectives are to:

• Coordinate a regional approach to addiction prevention and care
• Develop quality improvement and evaluation programs for addiction programs
• Support care providers to utilize best practices for addiction management, linking with BCCSU, and building capacity among primary care providers
• Reduce morbidity and mortality related to addiction

In addition, the MDoRE will support research and evaluation related to the broader Substance Use and Priority Populations areas of work including:

• Complex Care Housing
• Urgent Homelessness
• Toxic Drug response
• STOP HIV Program
• Emerging health initiatives for priority populations

The MDoRE will strive to ensure that the impact of key initiatives for priority populations are tracked over time, and to evaluate outcomes across the care continuum.

As the Medical Director, Research & Evaluation, Substance Use and Priority Services with Vancouver Coastal Health, you will:

• In collaboration with the VCH communities of care and PHC medical  and operational leadership, VCH Executive Director for Substance Use and Priority Populations, the Regional Addiction Program Medical Director, the STOP HIV Regional Medical Director, Providence Health Urban Health and Substance Use Program leadership, and the Office of the Chief Medical Health Officer,  take a leadership role in identifying research and evaluation-related priorities for substance use populations services within the Region;
• Ensures alignment with the vision, values and Priorities of VCH/PHC and that of Ministry of Health;
• Provides the forum for setting priorities through dialogue with the VCH Substance Use and Priority Populations teams and relevant stakeholders;
• Leads research and evaluation projects and works with leadership team to incorporate findings in planning, implementing and evaluating care and services provided within the program;
• Responsible for developing evaluation tools and strategies to measure, track and report on outcomes utilizing comprehensive data from the Health Data Platform BC (HDPBC) and other information resources;
• Responsible for translating complex data and evaluation outcomes into actionable metrics and sharing findings/learnings with both internal and external audiences;
• Supports and educates staff, partner organizations, and the community in the planning, implementation and understanding data collection and analysis; 
• Works with the Regional Department Heads, VCH Communities of Care Senior Medical Directors and Operational Directors in development and refinement of metrics and assessment frameworks. (e.g., VCH ‘scorecard’, Ministry of Health reporting) and establishment of targets for key metrics to inform health service delivery planning and to drive quality improvement across the region;
• Develops systems of reporting outcomes that can be utilized by both the Program and the Departments to report individual and program outcomes that can be used to identify improvement opportunities. These will include patient reported outcomes where possible;
• Identifies opportunities for research and evaluation for proposed new initiatives, including  developing, reviewing and endorsing business cases prior to submission;
• Works closely with and oversees RAP data analyst prioritization and planning to ensure effective use of data analytic resources within the program;
• Builds partnerships by working closely with health systems planners, researchers, and community leaders and their data staff to access and analyze data in support of program objectives;
• Provides leadership in VCH’s Toxic Drug Response Strategy where appropriate through data sharing and collaboration;
• Links with the BC Centre on Substance Use and the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV  to ensure relevant clinical data is captured and shared to support and feed into evidence-based clinical practice guideline development, education, and research across the province;
• Supports and implements VCH/PHC approved interdepartmental research and evaluation initiatives;
• Uses findings from research and evaluation activities to help inform cost-effective resource planning and allocation where applicable;
• Manages the research plan effectively and efficiently, and ensures that accepted standards of research and ethical behaviour are met;
• Recognizes that research involving First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples in Canada is governed by the provisions outlined in Chapter 9of the TCPS and by any codes of research practice established by Aboriginal communities themselves, and engages the VCH Indigenous Health Team and Director of Research for guidance on Substance Use and Priority Populations research and evaluation activities;
• Represents VCH  on various CoC, provincial government committees and contributes to evidence-informed policy and standards development;
• Enhances the reputation of VCH by undertaking quality research and evaluation activities and communicating that research to the public;
• Establishes and maintains effective communications with program staff, associated physicians & researchers, data personnel, support service departments, other programs, and  patients, clients, families and residents;
• Communicates and successfully works with individuals and groups across the health system;
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Accountability

The position will be reporting to the Vice-President, Public Health & Chief Medical Health Officer VCH as well as accountable with the Executive Director, Substance Use & Priority Populations, and the Regional Addiction Program Medical Director to the Senior Executive Team.

Education, Licensing, & Experience:

• A Medical Degree and licensed with BC College of Physicians & Surgeons
• Research & evaluation experience of at least 5 years in the area of substance use
• Leadership training or experience in management of medical staff will be expected
• Addiction Medicine Specialty clinical training strongly preferred.
• Graduate-level (i.e., Master’s or PhD) training in health research strongly preferred 

Knowledge & Abilities:

• Ability to understand and work with academic and research leaders.
• Demonstrated engagement skills with high level of proficiency in developing networks and managing relationships.
• Demonstrated leadership, including ability to inspire teams, the capacity for interpersonal insight and learning, vision development and motivation.
• Strong organizational commitment to application of research and evaluation strategies to inform health service programming and effective resource utilization.

Term of Appointment

This position is a Medical Administrative Services Contract for 24 months. The MDoRE may be appointed for a maximum of two consecutive terms of up to 3 years each

Interested in applying? Feel free to reach out to Donna Sangster, Manager, Executive Medical Staff Talent Acquisition: medstaffcareers@vch.ca, or click “Apply Now.”

Please note that a resume is required to apply for this position.

As per the current Public Health Orders, as of October 5, 2023, all employees working for Vancouver Coastal Health must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 or have received a single dose of the most-recent, updated COVID-19 vaccine. Proof of vaccination status will be required.

WHY JOIN VANCOUVER COASTAL HEALTH?

VCH is a world class innovator in medical care, research and teaching, delivering service to more than one million BC residents. At VCH, we embrace thinking boldly, taking smart risks, and "going first" when we believe it will lead to the best possible outcomes for patients and their families. We invite you to join us in creating healthy lives in healthy communities by showcasing our passion for care, connection to the communities we serve and our culture of teamwork that makes VCH a great place to work.

• Grow your career with employer-paid training and leadership development opportunities
• Wellness supports, including counselling, critical incident and innovative wellness services are available to employees and their immediate families
• Award-winning recognition programs to honour staff, medical staff and volunteers
• Access to exclusive discount offers and deals for VCH staff

Equity, diversity, and inclusion are essential to our goals of creating a great place to work and delivering exceptional care. We acknowledge and accommodate unique differences and ensure special measures are in place so that all prospective and current employees are given an opportunity to succeed.

We are committed to building a representative workforce and encourage applications reflecting diversity of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization or ancestry, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.

Vancouver Coastal Health is proud to be recognized as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers in 2023.