Position Summary
How will you create an impact :
Medical Health Officers (MHOs) are responsible for assessing, monitoring, and reporting on the health status of persons living in the Interior Health (IH) region. The MHOs are also responsible for administering various BC statutes and regulations relevant to protecting the health of the population. MHOs provide strategic and tactical support to senior leadership in the development, planning, implementation, and evaluation of public health programs both regionally and within each of the local health areas. The MHOs provide clinical consultation and advice to health professionals in both acute and community settings and work collaboratively with internal and external partners to support healthy public policy.
Reporting to the Deputy Chief MHO with oversight from the Provincial Health Officer (PHO), MHOs are designated by the Lieutenant Governor of BC under Order in Council.
What will you work on :
• Assess, monitor, and report on the health status of the population, and provide advice and recommendations to senior executive and the board of directors relevant to health promotion and disease prevention.
• Administer various BC statutes and regulations including but not limited to the Public Health Act, the Drinking Water Protection Act, the Community Care and Assisted Living Act, the Environmental Management Act, and the Community Charter.
• Provide clinical consultation and advice to health professionals in both acute and community settings across specialty services including communicable disease, infection control, facility licensing and environmental health.
• Provide strategic, tactical, and operational advice to senior leadership across specialty portfolios including indigenous health, mental health, substance use, harm reduction, maternal child health, primary care transformation, and health emergency management.
• Work collaboratively with management in developing, planning, implementing, and evaluating population and public health programs both regionally and within each of the local health areas.
• Engage and build partnerships with various external partners at the provincial, regional, and local level including government ministries, municipal councils, school boards, and non-profit community agencies.
• In alignment with IH's Occupational Health & Safety Program, maintain a healthy and safe work environment through complying with and implementing applicable Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, responding to requests from WSBC, identifying hazards and communicating risks, ensuring compliance with employee training, conducting effective incident investigations, and implementing required corrective actions.
• Promote health equity and reduce health disparities by supporting inclusive healthy public policy and service delivery in a manner that is sensitive to both political and social contexts.
Honouring Interior Health's commitment to Truth and Reconciliation and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), and Pursuant to Section 42 of the BC Human Rights Code, preferential consideration and/or hiring will be given to qualified applicants who self-identify as Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, or Inuit).
Qualfications
Education, Training, and Experience
• Medical Degree (MD) with current (or eligible for) full registration and licensure to practice medicine from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC.
• Fellowship in Public Health and Preventive Medicine from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
• Two (2) years of experience in progressively more complex and senior medical administrative or public health leadership roles.
• BC Driver's License for travel as required within and between our geographically distributed communities.
Skills and Abilities
• Superior skills in epidemiology and surveillance to support the interpretation and dissemination of public health data to inform and evaluate public health planning, programming, and policy.
• Up-to-date knowledge of relevant legislation, provincial policy, practice standards, and clinical guidelines to ensure well-informed evidence-based decision-making.
• Experience developing coalitions, cultivating strategic partnerships, defining a common
purpose, reaching consensus, and negotiating to conclude a process.
• Ability to communicate with clarity, integrity, and sensitivity to build trust with government partners, non-governmental agencies, media, peers, and the public.
• Strong leadership, strategic thinking, problem solving and innovative abilities to develop effective strategies and ensure support and attainment of goals.
• Physical ability to perform the duties of the position.
