Provincial Medical Director, Psychosocial Oncology

Provincial Medical Director, Psychosocial Oncology

BC Cancer

Regular Part Time (0.4 FTE Admin and 0.4 FTE Clinical)

Reporting to the provincial Program Medical Director for Supportive Care, the provincial Medical Director for Psychosocial Oncology is responsible for providing direction and vision for the clinical, educational, and research activities of Psychosocial Oncology and collaborating with other leaders from the wider multidisciplinary regional and provincial psychosocial oncology teams on the same. The Medical Director will be supported by 0.4 FTE (2 days per week) of protected non-clinical time for leadership activities.

The role involves close collaboration with the Program Medical Director for Supportive Care and other physician and non-physician leaders including leaders within Provincial Programs (including equivalent provincial Medical Directors for Pain & Symptom Management/Palliative Care, and Cancer Rehabilitation), Professional Practice, Learning and Development, Operations, and Indigenous Health.

Clinical Leadership Will Include

• Staying up-to-date with developments in the field
• Developing and updating guidelines, policies, and protocols, and leading quality improvement initiatives
• Maintaining a human resource plan informed by national and international standards and advising the Program Medical Director for Supportive Care as well as other BC Cancer leaders on the human resource needs of Psychosocial Oncology
• Working in collaboration with regional centre Executive Medical Directors on the hiring of new Psychiatry medical staff and participating in their orientation and onboarding
• Ensuring professional practice standards of psychiatric medical staff
• Facilitating growth in health equity and cultural competency within the Psychiatry and wider Psychosocial Oncology team
• Proactive management of patient safety and patient experience, and participation in response to patient safety events
• Providing expert support to other Psychiatry team members as well as multidisciplinary team members at BC Cancer centres around the province while also working as a psychiatrist within the multidisciplinary Psychosocial Oncology team at a BC Cancer Centre
• Keeping Psychosocial Oncology team members informed of broader BC Cancer objectives, policies, and activities
• Chairing meetings of Psychiatry staff
• Ensuring the overall good functioning of the Psychiatry team, including timely patient access to care
• Using available data and analytics resources to inform decision making
• Representing BC Cancer on committees and in other connections with organizations such as the UBC Department of Psychiatry, PHSA, the Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology, and the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer

Educational Leadership Will Include

• Leading creation and maintenance of educational opportunities for psychiatrists and other members of the wider psychosocial oncology teams and, at times, BC Cancer staff more broadly
• Participating in the creation and maintenance of broader educational activities such as Supportive Care rounds
• Leveraging expertise at BC Cancer to educate and empower community-based clinicians providing mental health care to cancer patients in the community through strategies such as virtual education sessions and promotion of Shared Care
• Providing mentorship to team members and facilitating their career growth

Research Leadership Will Include

• Leading BC Cancer-initiated research activities in psychosocial oncology
• Facilitating research opportunities and training for psychosocial oncology team members
• Building research collaborations within BC Cancer and with researchers at other organizations

Successful Candidates Will Have

• Commitment to upholding the shared responsibility of creating lasting and meaningful reconciliation in Canada as per TRC (2015) and BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019).
• Knowledge of social, economic, political and historical realities impacting indigenous communities and familiarity with Indigenous Cultural Safety and anti-racism and accompanying reports (BC DRIPA, TRC, etc.).

Interested physicians should be eligible for provisional or full licensure with CPSBC, and have obtained fellowship in Psychiatry with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, or equivalent.

What We Bring

Every PHSA employee enables the best possible patient care for our patients and their families. Whether you are providing direct care, conducting research, or making it possible for others to do their work, you impact the lives of British Columbians today and in the future. That’s why we’re focused on your care too – offering health, wellness, development programs to support you – at work and at home.

• Join one of BC’s largest employers with province-wide programs, services and operations – offering vast opportunities for growth, development, and recognition programs that honour the commitment and contribution of all employees.
• Access to professional development opportunities through our in-house training programs, including +2,000 courses, such as our San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training course, or Core Linx for Leadership roles.
• Salaried Physicians enjoy a comprehensive benefits package, including municipal pension plan, and psychological health & safety programs and holistic wellness resources.
• Salaried Physicians receive annual statutory holidays (13) with generous vacation entitlement and accruement.
• Access to WorkPerks, a premium discount program offering a wide range of local and national discounts on electronics, entertainment, dining, travel, wellness, apparel, and more.

To apply, please send a letter expressing your interest, curriculum vitae and the names of 2 referees to:

Adeline Chan, Recruitment Services

Email: ***email_hidden***

Applications will be reviewed until the position is filled

Equity, diversity and inclusion

PHSA & BC Cancer are committed to equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals, including Indigenous Peoples, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, people of diverse gender identities or expressions, and members of other equity-seeking groups.

The successful candidate will also demonstrate a commitment to beginning and continuing their personal learning journey related to Indigenous-specific racism and dismantling systems of oppression, as well as addressing racism more broadly. Shows willingness to articulate and share their learning experiences to contribute to a culture of motivation and inspiration among peers.

As a strong asset for consideration, we are looking for our successful candidate to have: Foundational knowledge of the social, economic, and political realities of settler-colonialism and its impacts on Indigenous peoples and equity-deserving groups within social and health contexts. Understands the impact of social determinants of health-on-health outcomes. Shows a commitment to learning about and upholding legislative obligations and provincial commitments outlined in foundational documents such as the Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action (2015), In Plain Sight (2020), BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019), United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Reclaiming Power and Place: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls Calls for Justice (2019), the Declaration Act Action Plan, Remembering Keegan: A First Nations Case Study, the BC Human Rights Code, Anti-Racism Data Act, and the Distinctions Based Approach.

What We Do

The BC Cancer (

BC Cancer) is committed to reducing the incidence of cancer, reducing the mortality from cancer, and improving the quality of life of those living with cancer. BC Cancer provides a comprehensive cancer control program for the people of British Columbia in partnership with regional health authorities to deliver a range of cancer services, which include prevention, screening and early detection, diagnosis and treatment, research, education, supportive care, rehabilitation and palliative care. It operates six regional cancer centres in Surrey, Kelowna, Vancouver, Victoria, Abbotsford and Prince George, along with two research centres that conduct research into the causes and cures for cancer.

For more information about BC Cancer, please visit the website at:

BC Cancer is part of the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA).

The Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) plans, manages and evaluates specialized health services with the BC health authorities to provide equitable and cost-effective health care for people throughout the province. Our values reflect our commitment to excellence and include: Respect people – Be compassionate – Dare to innovate – Cultivate partnerships – Serve with purpose.

Learn more about PHSA and our programs: jobs.phsa.ca/programs-and-services

PHSA and BC Cancer are committed to equity in our hiring and employment practices. With learning and compassion, we are addressing existing inequities and barriers throughout our systems. PHSA is seeking to create a diverse workforce and to establish an inclusive and culturally safe environment. We invite applications and enquiries from all people, particularly those belonging to the historically, systemically, and/or persistently marginalized groups identified under the B.C. Human Rights Code.

One of PHSA’s North Star priorities is to eradicate Indigenous-specific racism, which includes dismantling barriers to health care employment at every level. We welcome Indigenous individuals to apply and/or contact the Sanya'kula Team (Indigenous Recruitment & Employee Experience) for support at View email address on ca.workus.org.

Indigenous-specific anti-racism initiatives are rooted in addressing the unique forms of discrimination, historical and ongoing injustices, and marginalization faced by Indigenous peoples. These initiatives align with an Indigenous rights-based approach, recognizing the inherent rights and self-determination of Indigenous communities. PHSA must uphold legislative obligations and provincial commitments found in the foundational documents such as including Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action (2015), In Plain Sight (2020), BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019), United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Reclaiming Power and Place Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls Calls for Justice (2019), the Declaration Act Action Plan and Remembering Keegan: A First Nations Case Study.