About the Medical Leadership Strategy

The approach to medical leadership structure, compensation, and support within Island Health is currently under review so it can better meet the existing and future needs of both medical staff and Island Health.

Medical staff have identified critical areas for improvement. Key priorities for this work include:

Ensure clarity in leadership roles and foster effective co-leadership
Strengthen governance and decision-making structures
Create clear, transparent processes for FTE allocation and compensation
Improve supports for effective onboarding and leadership development

How we’re working

The approach to this work has been evidence-informed, and grounded in meaningful engagement with medical staff. To date, the project has included:

A detailed current state review of structure, resources, finances, and leadership supports
A comprehensive review of medical leadership onboarding, development, and off-boarding processes
An environmental scan and literature review of national best practices
Regular consultation with medical leaders, operational leaders, and MSA Executives

We are committed to transparency, collaboration, and shared leadership throughout this process. Key elements of this approach include:

Collaborating with medical leaders and MSA Executives via project committees and working groups throughout all phases of the work.
Engaging through 1:1 interviews and focus groups to gather diverse input
Providing regular progress updates and creating clear feedback loops

Timeline

This multi-phase project is currently entering Implementation Phase:

Current State Review: June – November 2024
Design Phase: November 2024 – April 2025
Implementation Phase: September - December 2025
New Medical Leadership Launch: January 2026
Post-Implementation and Evaluation: January – June 2026

Who this will impact

This work will involve a wide range of interest-holders, including:

Medical leaders at all levels
Medical staff across programs and departments
Health system leaders and clinical service teams

Project Governance

The Medical Leadership project is governed by three committees, who have distinct roles and authority:

The Executive Committee provides sponsorship, executive oversight and approval of key milestones and principles.
The Operations Committee oversees the project, including task-specific workstreams, to ensure deliverables and priorities are met. The Operations Committee is accountable to the Executive Committee and engages the Advisory Committee for influential feedback.
The Advisory Committee supports the project at a Collaborate level on the IAP2 spectrum of participation. As a collaborator, their role is to be a key partner in development of ideas and alternatives on specific aspects of the project.

About the Advisory Committee

The Medical Leadership Advisory Committee was formed based on diversity criteria, including geographic representation, time in leadership, and medical leader type and includes two MSA Executives.

This Advisory Committee is a focused, time-limited working group that collaborates with the project team to develop the future state of: