Senior Medical Director - Vancouver Community

Job Summary

Come work as a Senior Medical Director, with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH)!

Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) invites applications for the Vancouver Community, VCH.  Reporting directly to the Vice President, Medicine and Academic Affairs (VPMAA), the Senior Medical Director (SMD) provides senior medical leadership for the Vancouver Community of Care (CoC). This role is structured as a co-Senior Medical Director (co-SMD) model, with two individuals jointly sharing accountabilities at 0.7 FTE each. Working within the governance framework of the VCH Medical Staff Bylaws, Rules and Policies, and in alignment with the strategic direction of the VPMAA, the SMD partners in a dyad relationship with the VP of Operations, Vancouver Community to set strategic direction, ensure operational excellence, and advance safe, high-quality, patient-centred care. 

The SMD provides overall medical leadership for quality and patient safety, medical practice, and medical workforce planning across Vancouver Community, serving as a critical bridge between medical staff and credentialed medical providers (CMPs) and executive leadership. In partnership with the operational dyad and as part of a co-SMD model, the role shares joint accountability with the co-SMD partner to the VCH President & CEO and Board of Directors for the provision and overall leadership of clinical services and operations in Vancouver Community. The co-SMDs are expected to operate as a cohesive partnership, ensuring alignment, continuity, and coordinated decision-making across all areas of accountability. The allocation of portfolios and responsibilities between co-SMDs may be determined based on complementary strengths and organizational priorities, while maintaining shared accountability for all core functions of the role.

The SMD works with the Vice President, Medicine and Academic Affairs, the Senior Executive Team, Regional Department Heads, CoC Medical Directors, and other internal and external partners on all matters related to medical staff, CMPs and medical leadership services in Vancouver Community to ensure alignment of clinical standards, service delivery priorities, and system transformation initiatives. The SMD will work in collaboration with key regional leaders within the Office of the VPMAA to advance coordinated, system-wide priorities. The SMD guides the work of the local Medical Affairs department and embodies a productive, respectful culture within the CoC. This work is framed within VCH’s commitments to our pillars of Indigenous Cultural Safety, Anti-Racism, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and Planetary Health.

Key Accountabilities:

Quality & Safety

• Leads and champions a culture of safety, quality, respectful professional practice, and continuous improvement across Vancouver Community.
• Provides oversight into the investigation, review, and learning related to safety events, critical incidents, and quality concerns, ensuring timely escalation and sustainable improvement actions.
• Develops effective processes to implement and evaluate the quality and safety goals of the organization in collaboration with the VP Medicine and Academic Affairs, dyad partnership, and executive leadership.
• Partners with regional and local Quality & Safety leadership to implement evidence-informed Accreditation standards, quality improvement priorities, and to support VCH Board-level assurance on quality of care.

Dyad Leadership: Operations, Access and Flow

• Within a co-SMD structure, both SMDs jointly partner with the VP Operations, Vancouver Community, and are collectively accountable for operational and clinical leadership across the CoC.
• Leads service planning and operational decision-making with the VP Operations, Vancouver Community, balancing clinical quality, access, patient flow, resource stewardship, and workforce sustainability.
• Uses performance data and clinical insights to identify risks, address operational bottlenecks, and strengthen integrated care pathways across the local continuum.
• Ensures delivery of effective medical services for the CoC in accordance with the established VCH Service Delivery Plan and in compliance with budget, patient volumes, and quality targets.

Medical Staff Governance, Professional Practice and Conduct

• Manages issues related to professional conduct and oversees investigation/resolution of complaints, concerns, and disruptive behaviours regarding medical care in collaboration with relevant regional and local medical leaders and in accordance with the VCH Bylaws, Rules, and Policies.
• Provides oversight and decision-making authority for escalated behavioural or professional conduct issues involving credentialed medical providers, where matters require intervention beyond the CMP’s direct supervising medical leader.
• Ensures effective medical governance processes are in place to support the assessment, monitoring, and ongoing competence of medical staff and credentialed medical providers.
• Leads all medical activities within the CoC in accordance with the Standards and Codes of Ethics of the organization and the relevant regulatory colleges, such as the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia and the BC College of Nurses and Midwives.

Credentialing, Privileging, Appointments and Contracting

• Provides senior medical leadership for credentialing, privileging, appointment, reappointment, and contracting of medical staff, credentialed medical providers, and medical leaders within Vancouver Community.
• Ensures consistent, fair, and timely credentialing, privileging, and reappointment processes for medical staff in accordance with VCH Rules, Bylaws, and Policies and legislative requirements.
• Partners with the Office of the VP Medicine and Academic Affairs to support well‑governed contract lifecycle management, including term oversight, renewal decision‑making, and performance‑informed recommendations.

Medical Workforce Planning, Recruitment and Retention

• Leads medical workforce planning for Vancouver Community in alignment with the VCH Health Service Delivery Plan, including recruitment, retention, succession planning, and leadership development
• Collaborates with Regional and Site Department Heads to optimize and expedite recruitment of medical staff and credentialed medical providers.
• Participates in the development of the VCH Health Human Resources plan in collaboration with the VP Medicine and Academic Affairs and the Health Authority Medical Advisory Committee (HAMAC).

Strategy, System Integration, Partnerships and Engagement

• Contributes to health authority‑wide strategy and system transformation, ensuring local implementation aligns with enterprise clinical standards and integrated models of care.
• Supports innovation and creative system reimagining at a local and regional level.
• Builds effective relationships with professional associations, external partners, academic institutions, and other health organizations to influence medical practice and support quality care and workforce sustainability.
• Provides senior medical leadership to support the integration of learners (e.g., medical students, residents, etc.) in Vancouver Community, promoting safe and effective teaching environments through mentorship and positive learning opportunities.
• Leads engagement with medical staff, medical leaders, and local operational leaders to build trust and alignment, maintain a visible leadership presence, and foster open communication.
• Serves as a key contributing member of the Vancouver Community Senior Leadership Team, the Vancouver Medical Advisory Committee, the HAMAC, and the Executive Medical and Academic Leadership Team (EMALT).

Finance and Resource Stewardship

• Provides medical leadership input into planning, prioritization, and stewardship of financial resources to meet quality, service, and workforce objectives within the Vancouver Community.
• Co-develops financial and workforce plans with the Office of the VP Medicine and Academic Affairs, setting priorities, allocating funding, and approving variances in response to operational demands.
• Works closely with VCH Finance to manage assigned budget and administer financial resources.

Equity, Cultural Safety and Inclusive Leadership

• Advances equity‑oriented and culturally safe care by embedding inclusive practices into planning, quality improvement, and medical workforce leadership.
• Guides, supports and enables local medical leadership to ensure that complaints, quality concerns, and negative culture is addressed and resolved in constructive ways with sustainable outcomes.

Qualifications

• A Doctor of Medicine Degree or Nurse Practitioner Degree and certification or licensure in good standing with the appropriate regulatory College.
• Minimum ten years’ recent experience in progressive senior medical leadership roles.
• For a holder of a Doctor of Medicine Degree, eligibility for a faculty appointment with the University of British Columbia, Faculty of Medicine; for holder of a Nurse Practitioner Degree, eligibility for a faculty appointment with a School of Nursing at a post-secondary institution in British Columbia.
• Master’s Degree in Health Administration, Business Administration, or Public Health considered an asset.
• Formal training or experience in quality improvement, patient safety, or change leadership considered an asset.
• Maintenance of professional memberships and associations.

Leadership Competencies

• Provides trusted senior medical leadership grounded in strong clinical judgment, professional integrity, and accountability for quality, safety, and standards of care across a complex health system.
• Leads effectively within a co-SMD and medical–operational dyad leadership model, exercising shared accountability and sound business and clinical judgment.
• Demonstrates systems thinking and strategic leadership, aligning medical leadership, workforce planning, and contracting decisions with organizational strategy, long‑term goals, and service delivery priorities.
• Builds credibility and trust with medical staff, credentialed medical providers, learners, operational leaders, and external partners through visible engagement, effective communication, and principled relationship management.
• Provides clear, timely, and well‑reasoned advice and consultation to inform decision‑making, ensuring actions align with the VCH Medical Staff Bylaws and Rules, governance frameworks, and regulatory expectations.
• Leads medical staff governance with fairness and transparency.
• Inspires shared purpose and aligns provider performance, leadership development, and succession planning with strategic objectives while fostering cohesion, motivation, and accountability.
• Uses data, evidence, and performance insight to steward human, financial, and physical resources responsibly and to drive continuous improvement in quality, outcomes, access, and utilization.
• Leads and sustains change in complex adaptive systems, enabling innovation while maintaining stability, trust, and operational continuity.
• Demonstrates humility, fairness, and ethical leadership, engaging others respectfully to achieve collaborative, sustainable, and publicly accountable outcomes

Closing Statement

At Vancouver Coastal Health, our vision of healthy lives in healthy communities inspires us and our values and pillars guide us. We support equitable practices, diverse teams and inclusive environments, which are vital to creating welcoming spaces where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and feel supported. We encourage applications from equity-deserving communities, including Indigenous Peoples and members of racialized groups, people with disabilities and people of all gender identities and expressions and sexual orientation.

Expressions of interest will be accepted until the position is filled. For initial consideration, interested applicants should submit a resume and covering letter, including alignment to VCH values and pillars, by November 30 2026, to:

Olivia Todd

Manager, Talent Acquisition, Executive & Medical Staff

[email protected]