Provincial Head, Department of Surgery

Provincial Head, Department of Surgery

University of Saskatchewan and Saskatchewan Health Authority

The Department of Surgery has over 250 surgeons working in teams across Saskatchewan to provide high quality surgical care for over 1.1 million people in the province. Our commitment is to provide world-class care to our patients through fostering an environment that values clinical excellence, education, innovation and collaborative research.  Our surgical postgraduate training programs includes over 60 residents and fellows that are distributed throughout the province. The Provincial Head is a key leader in Saskatchewan’s health care system. Reporting to the Dean of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan (UofS), and the Chief Medical Officer, Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), the Provincial Head works closely with Area Surgical Department Leads and academic leads to develop and execute strategy in alignment with the overall business plan and strategic direction of both the SHA and College of Medicine.

University of Saskatchewan

Established first as the School of Medical Sciences in 1926 and later as the College of Medicine in 1953, the College has a full range of academic programming, including the School of Rehabilitation Sciences and the Division of Biomedical Sciences. The College of Medicine serves the people of Saskatchewan by producing outstanding clinical practitioners, generating new knowledge and facilitating improved patient outcomes.  Within the CoM, there are 2,000 faculty and 700 employees working with over 2,100 learners providing a full range of accredited academic programming at more than 40 sites (some permanent, some rotating) across the province.

Saskatchewan Health Authority

On December 4, 2017, the SHA launched, transitioning 12 former Regional Health Authorities to a single provincial health authority.  The SHA is the largest employer in Saskatchewan with a budget of over $4.6 billion, employing approximately 43,000 staff and is responsible for the delivery of healthcare to the province. The SHA infrastructure includes 64 hospitals with 2,500 acute care patient beds and approximately 9,000 long term care beds.

The priority of the Provincial Head is to effectively lead the department and ensure that it accomplishes its clinical, teaching and research endeavors. Although this is a full-time role, the Provincial Head is expected to engage in some ongoing academic work and clinical service where possible and is appointed to the medical staff of the Health Authority while holding an academic appointment in the College of Medicine. The Provincial Head is responsible for providing leadership and support to the academic and clinical work undertaken by all faculty and physicians within the department in the College of Medicine and in the Health Authority. In collaboration with academic leadership, the Provincial Head is accountable for successful delivery of undergraduate, postgraduate medical education programs, continuing medical education programs and facilitation of research activities. The Provincial Head works with the Area Department Leads across the province and operational leaders for delivery on strategic plans, human resource planning, and quality and safety including the development of clinical practice standards. This includes striving for equitable access for all of Saskatchewan residents despite vast geography, building physician leadership, and working on reducing surgical backlog and lowering surgical wait times.

The Provincial Head administers all department resources effectively and ensures resources are aligned with the goals of the College of Medicine and the Health Authority.  Working with other senior leaders in the College of Medicine and the SHA, the Provincial Head seeks to influence, advocate, and educate colleagues, government and, at times, the public, to challenges and opportunities as they arise.

The College of Medicine seeks an experienced and visionary leader who has an established academic track record, administrative leadership and managerial experience, and strong interpersonal skills. The Provincial Head will be at the rank of Associate or Full Professor, eligible for certification as a surgeon with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and have the ability to be fully licensed to achieve professional certification in Saskatchewan.  The Provincial Head is an ambassador and change agent for the Saskatchewan, whose work will have the potential to open minds and raise performance levels with long lasting positive effects for the province and our national and international reputation.

 

To explore this exciting opportunity further, please contact Kristie Tempel-Briske @ [email protected] or 306-966-8553