The Staff at All Nations Healing Hospital   

The Community and Facility:

Located in Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan, just north of Regina, in the scenic lake country of the Qu'Appelle Valley - an oasis on the Canadian Prairies - the All Nations' Healing Hospital opened in June 2004 and replaces the Fort Qu'Appelle Indian Hospital originally built nearly 70 years ago. Culturally sensitive design elements have been thoughtfully incorporated throughout the new facility in order to accommodate and emphasize an approach to health care that recognizes the relationship between mind, spirit, body and community.

All Nations' Healing Hospital is a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, integrated health centre consisting of 13 acute care beds, one palliative care bed, a large outpatient and diagnostic area, and support services in the provision of health services to this community of 2500, to the surrounding rural municipalities, and to the File Hills Qu'Appelle Tribal Council communities. Taken together, these communities represent a population base of 10,000 (20,000 during the summer months). The Hospital's White Raven Healing Centre provides mental health services and a spiritual cultural program. The vision of the Centre is to provide client-centered mental health and addictions services that integrate the best of mainstream therapeutic techniques with traditional First Nation healing practices, resulting in a holistic approach to healing. In a similar way, the facility's Women's Health Centre, opened in August 2007, is staffed by nurse practitioners and midwives and provides care for all women, from premenstrual through to post-menopausal, and in the spirit of the First Nations culture and philosophy that healthy women give life to healthy children which give life to healthy communities.

As its name implies, All Nations' Healing Hospital is inclusive of all people in the provision of a holistic approach to health care, providing a comprehensive range of integrated acute, preventative, health promotion, and cultural health services. It is a very special place, unique in Canada, and recognized as an agent of change in setting a new national example of community health care delivery. In every respect, from design to health care service delivery, the Hospital brings together a whole new perspective to what hospital care can be and with a vision of addressing the health needs of the whole person by providing services across the entire continuum of care - homecare to hospital. As such, the facility consists of both the hospital itself as well as the First Nations Health Services area which administers much of the provision of health care to the 4,500 individuals living on the surrounding First Nations reserves.

All Nations' Healing Hospital offers a wide range of fully integrated health services, delivered by approximately 80 acute care staff and an additional 40 (approximately) First Nations Health Services staff. In addition to providing acute care services as well as 24/7 emergency and diagnostic services, the hospital also offers a variety of community and outreach services. Different health care practitioners work in the facility - nurse practitioners, nurses, midwives, physicians - and in a highly collaborative and collegial, multi-disciplinary team environment.

Information technology (IT) has played, and continues to play, a critical role in creating and maintaining this environment of collaboration and connectivity. Current initiatives underway include the expansion of the hospital's birthing facilities, as well as a number of e-health initiatives including an inter-operable IT system (with full internal and external connectivity), an electronic health records system, iPad-based patient education, and a web-based patient assessment process. Most recently, the facility completed its ultrasound project which allows for real-time streaming over a secure network. Future initiatives to be addressed, in response to community needs, include expansion of services in maternity care and a dialysis unit.

As a fully-accredited facility the goals of the hospital are to maintain and provide the very highest standards of quality patient care possible and, in its continuous strive for excellence, to exceed national standards in patient care. The hospital also benefits from a large number of student placements.

The Opportunity:

This is a unique opportunity to serve a special community, not a facility. As a private practitioner, the Family Physician will join a busy group practice in the community of Fort Qu'Appelle and will collaborate with a multi-disciplinary team in providing primary health care services to the community, surrounding rural municipalities, and the File Hills Qu'Appelle Tribal Council communities.

In keeping with the philosophy of care that has been established at All Nations' Healing Hospital, the Physician will promote and expand primary health care with a focus on the delivery of a continuum of comprehensive and coordinated services in response to the needs of the community. As such, the Physician is a key member of the networks and teams of health professionals responsible for providing an integrated system of health services accessible on a 24/7 basis, complete with admitting privileges and where on-call coverage is shared with the practice group on the basis of a 1:4 rotational requirement/protocol.

The Physician will be expected to contribute to, and enhance, the hospital's collaborative and collegial environment by developing relationships, and integrating, with the team; through effective communication with other team members, and; by establishing strong patient-physician relationships. In addition, s/he will be expected to participate in health promotion programs and primary care initiatives which improve access and care to patients. The Physician is also expected to participate in the Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) and to attend monthly MAC meetings, and others as required; to engage in continuing medical education activities and mandatory training; to participate in special projects; to provide clinical advice in such areas as standards of practice and care, and; to lead the education, supervision and evaluation of medical students and other health care professionals.

The Candidate:

All Nations' Healing Hospital is deeply patient-centred, in an environment of mutual respect, courtesy, collegiality and strong community support and engagement. The successful candidate is a confident physician leader with strong clinical skills and who values practicing in a team-based, less hierarchical, structure.

This is also a facility where the level of clinical skills is exceptional, where clinical skills training is interdisciplinary, and where continuing education and quality improvement are emphasized in the maintenance of best practices and protocols. In a similar sense, the candidate must be proficient and competent and be capable of contributing to an already high-performing and successful team where accountability is expected.

In addition, a rural practice is a best fit with those who prefer the inherent lifestyle advantages and quality-of-life benefits over urban living, together with the opportunity to play an integral role in the fabric of the community. The preferred candidate is one with a broad skill set, including emergency (ideally), who enjoys a very hands-on practice with on-call duties and exposure to a wide variety of acute care situations, allowing for the application of a range of technical skills and for the development of long-term relationships with patients and their families.

The successful candidate must hold certification with the Medical Council of Canada and be eligible for licensure to practice in Saskatchewan.

Interested and qualified applicants are invited to explore this exciting opportunity further by submitting your expression of interest, in confidence,
to Karen Swystun or Fred Loewen at resumes@waterfordglobal.com