The Medical Director Psychiatry Acute SI is a co-leadership position that shares responsibility for ensuring high quality Acute Psychiatry services in the South Island. With the respective Co-Leader, the Medical Director works proactively with others (including patients) to ensure continuous quality improvement of service delivery. This position reports to both an Executive Medical Director and an Executive Director.

The Medical Director Psychiatry Acute SI will work collaboratively within a dynamic and extensive inpatient service focused on assisting people with complex to severe use/addictions disorders. This position will be responsible for co-leading the South Island MHSU Acute tactical operations plan to enhance patient access and flow, improve quality of inpatient services and enhance care pathways for specialized populations. This position will work with the respective Co-Leader to strengthen partnerships with Acute Care sites, namely the Emergency Departments in the SI as well as external partners (Ex: police services).

The successful candidate will ensure education, practice and administrative support for medical teams to ensure best practice standards within acute care as well to ensure successful implementation of practice changes or other treatment interventions.  

Main responsibilities of this position:

1. Leadership: Co-leads and oversees activities to ensure program service delivery is efficient, effective and integrated across Island Health sites; Links with appropriate Departmental Medical Leaders to address matters of physician governance, including professional medical practice issues.
2. Operations & Quality: Establishes processes and structures to engage physicians and staff in continuous quality improvement of service delivery; Monitors program budget and performance jointly with co-leader, and makes course corrections when necessary; Ensures appropriate investigation and resolution of program-related Patient Safety Learning System and Patient Care Quality Office events.
3. Change Management: Co-develops and implements change management plans to engage and support physicians and staff through change
4. Informatics: Oversees activities that advance technology and data use to improve service delivery using the Electronic Health Records (EHR) in collaboration with the Quality Systems team.
5. Planning: Assesses, monitors and anticipates program resource needs and works with medical leaders and administrative leaders to prioritize these needs within available resources.

Key Deliverables and Performance Expectations:

This position will have local responsibility within the South Island for the achievement of integrated accessible services, including:

• Co-Lead efforts to contribute to and support the MHSU Acute Care Workplan and South Island strategy; patient flow, acute access, hospital diversion/early discharge and surge response protocol implementation.
• Participate in the development and conduct of educational programs for Acute Medical Staff
• Support Quality Assurance Review process from a physician perspective for high level PSLS and PCQO events
• Participate in administrative decision making and recommend/approve policies and procedures
• Participate in the surveillance and promotion in the health safety, and welfare of Acute Medical Staff

Start Date

July 1, 2025

Community Information

Victoria, British Columbia’s scenic Capital, is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Renowned for its breathtaking natural beauty and enviable quality of life, Victoria offers an opportunity to combine a rewarding career with a satisfying lifestyle.  Few areas in the world can match BC’s scope of outdoor activities, with Vancouver Island offering everything from skiing and snowboarding, to golf, and world-class fishing, sailing, kayaking and cycling. With Victoria’s temperate climate, its rich heritage and vibrant cultural scene, it provides the very best of urban and rural living. Strong public schools are complemented by multiple renowned private schools in and adjacent to Victoria.