Family Physician - Care by Design

About This Opportunity

Nova Scotia Health Authority's innovative Care by Design program provides residents of long-term care facilities access to high-quality and consistent primary care. Care by Design strives to achieve quality of life for our most frail seniors and an appropriate health care approach to meet their health needs. The program ensure comprehensive, collaborative, and resident-centered care.  
As a Care by Design physician, you will join dozens of existing family physicians on a collaborative team that strives to improve continuity and quality of resident care in long-term care facilities by ensuring better safety of residents' medication regimens, reducing transfers to emergency departments, and empowering residents to be participants in their care planning.  
Physicians are assigned to one geographical network, providing them with minimal travel and improved communication with facilities and residents. The networks allow for robust on call services, more efficient training, and supportive quality improvement opportunities. Physicians are assigned to one floor/wing/unit in a facility and visit no less than once per week at a scheduled time. After hours "on call" is supported by a group of physicians and are centrally managed. call – typically once every 2 months or 8 weeks (including weekends). Physicians are paid for fee-for-service under NS MSI, an additional stipend is paid for on-call shifts and there are no overhead costs to participate in Care by Design. If a physician is working on the Longitudinal Family Medicine model, this can be discussed as well.

There are currently immediate opportunities in Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford, Sackville, and West Hants.

For more information please contact Heather Rushton, Physician Recruitment Consultant at heather.rushton@nshealth.ca . 

Responsibilities

• deliver comprehensive primary health care services to practice patients of all ages and stages of health or illness with particular focus on geriatric care
• round on patients at the long term facility no less than once a week and be on call between 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday - Friday
• work with other providers in the geographical network to provide evening and weekend coverage
• utilize an electronic medical record (EMR) and record all relevant patient details in a provincially approved EMR which is common and accessible to all collaborating team members

Expected Hours

• permanent or locum, part-time
• minimum requirement to round on patients once a week
• shared evening and weekend call

Qualifications

• all applicants must be eligible for licensure with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia (CPSNS)
• all specialists must be eligible for certification with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC)
• membership with the Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA)