Vice President for Oncology and Site Executive

Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) is a hospital system of 14,000 staff, physicians, researchers and volunteers who proudly serve south central Ontario residents. We also provide specialized, advanced care to people from across the province.  HHS is the only hospital in Ontario that cares for all ages, from pre-birth to end-of-life.  We offer world-leading expertise in many areas, including cardiac and stroke care, cancer care, palliative care and pediatrics. HHS is a world-renowned hospital for medical research. We focus daily on improving the quality of care for our patients through innovation and evidence-based practices.  As the largest employer in the Greater Hamilton region, HHS plays a vital role in training the next generation of health professionals.

The Juravinski Hospital & Cancer Centre (JHCC), on the brow of the Niagara escarpment, is best known as the host hospital for the Regional Cancer Program. In addition to dedicated wards for cancer patients, the Juravinski Hospital supports a large orthopedic service specializing in total joint replacements and is a general medical/surgical hospital with a community Emergency Department. The Juravinski Hospital serves as the main point of contact for all primary hip and knee joint replacement surgery assessments and low back pain referrals in the Ontario Health West region. The program facilitates improved access to specialty musculoskeletal care, and improved wait times for surgery.

The Juravinski Cancer Centre (JCC) is a regional referral centre, with many patients coming from outside of Hamilton, the JCC collaborates with providers in the patient’s home community.  JCC is where cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy take place, as well as groundbreaking cancer research.  The Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre is a pioneer in life-saving stem cell transplant and cellular therapy where the first successful transplant from an unrelated donor in Canadian history took place. Its reputation and care excellence is built on 50 years of providing breakthrough research and treatment. The JHCC is just one of three centres providing all forms of stem cell transplants to adult cancer patients in Ontario. It is a pioneer in life-saving stem cell transplant and cellular therapy, and a state-of-the-art healing environment.

HHS has shared a plan with the Ministry of Health for a proposed redevelopment of three aging wings at the JHCC. When approved by the Ministry, this will be the largest single investment in health care infrastructure in Hamilton’s history, and will require extensive planning and project delivery engagement and leadership from staff and leaders across the site, including the VP Oncology & Palliative Care.

HHS is currently seeking a Vice President for Oncology & Palliative Care and Site Executive - Juravinski Hospital & Cancer Centre, and Regional Vice President, Ontario Health – Cancer Care Ontario.  As a senior executive member of HHS, the role reports to the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, HHS and Vice President, Planning & Regional Programs of Ontario Health - Cancer Care Ontario (OH-CCO). The role provides strategic oversight and operational leadership for the delivery of clinical services and promotes innovation and excellence of quality patient and family-centered care at the JHCC and provides linkage between overall HHS strategic priorities and those of the portfolio.  As the Regional Vice President for OH-CCO, the role provides senior leadership in articulating and implementing the strategic directions of OH-CCO for population-based cancer control, including working with community and institutional partners in aligning these strategic directions with the needs of the Hamilton, Niagara, Haldimand, Brant and Burlington communities. This VP has responsibility for a budget of over $80M and over 850 FTEs.

Operational Responsibilities:

• Operational responsibilities for Cancer Program within the JHCC including:
  • • Providing comprehensive care across the cancer control continuum, including prevention, screening, diagnosis, therapy, survivorship and palliative care.  The Program includes a well-established clinical trials program.
    • Serving more than 1.7 million people in the Central West Ontario region; more than 7,500 new patients are seen each year at the Juravinski Cancer Centre (JCC) for assessment and provision of systemic and radiation therapy.
    • Operating a Complex Malignant Hematology program including Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapies; this includes 54 inpatient beds and is one of 3 full-service programs in Ontario.
    • Operating Regional services covering all therapeutic modalities for gynecologic oncology, hepato-pancreatic and biliary cancers and sarcoma; there are also specialized Regional services providing systemic and radiation therapy for patients with head and neck cancer, lung cancer and cancers of the central nervous system.
    • Providing comprehensive supportive care, including through a psychosocial oncology program
    • Operating a Breast Assessment Centre and a Colposcopy Program which each link cancer screening with diagnosis and treatment.
    • The Cancer Program is actively involved in educating and mentoring the next generation of physicians and other health professionals and provides the platform for a large research enterprise, including through linkages with the HHS-McMaster Escarpment Cancer Research Institute.
• Operational responsibilities as Site Executive for the JHCC include oversight of:
  • • Inpatient services for site based programs including:
      • Medicine
      • Surgery
      • Orthopedics
      • Oncology
      • Hematology
      • Critical Care
    • An Emergency Department that serves regional and local community needs and sees over 41,000 patient visits per year

• Responsibilities as the Regional Vice President for OH-CCO include:
  • • Engaging with external counterparts, regionally and provincially to establish strong linkages and integrated service model collaborations and partnerships.
    • Ensuring alignment of accountabilities of regional partners with provincial performance, including quality targets
    • Representing regional interests and perspectives as a senior member of the OH-CCO Provincial Leadership Council.

Specific Accountabilities:

Accountabilities within the JHCC, including its Cancer Program are:

1. Responsible for the quality, resource utilization, financial and operational management of JHCC programs including:

Within the JCC:

• • • Surgical Oncology
    • Medical Oncology
    • Hematologic Oncology
    • Radiation Oncology
    • Psychosocial Oncology and Supportive Care
    • Cancer Clinical Trials
    • Mobile Coach for Cancer Screening

Within the JH:

1. • • Critical Care
     • Emergency Medicine
     • Medicine
     • Oncology
     • Hematology, including Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapies
     • Breast Assessment Centre and Colposcopy
     • Surgery
     • Orthopedics
     • Overall Site Flow and Operations
2. Contributing to, communicating and implementing corporate strategic directions for the JHCC as a specialty-focused hospital for cancer care and joint replacement surgery and for the community hospital role of the JH.
3. Partnering with associated Medical leadership and other staff leaders to ensure that high-quality care is delivered, including through driving evidence into practice and ensuring an excellent patient experience.
4. Advocacy for scholarly activities associated with research and education aligned with cancer care, orthopedics and other services primary to the JHCC and HHS.
5. Liaising with the HHS Foundation and its associated JHCC Foundation to align priorities and strategic directions of the Foundations and their corporate linkages

Accountabilities as the Regional Vice President (RVP) for OH-CCO are:

1. Leading the Regional Cancer Program in alignment with the OH-CCO’s Ontario Cancer Plan to ensuring the delivery of high-quality cancer services for the Hamilton, Niagara, Haldimand, Brant, and Burlington Region.
2. Leading the JCC as the Regional Cancer Centre with specific additional accountabilities as agreed to by OH-CCO and Hamilton Health Sciences.
3. Responsibilities for the quality, resource utilization, financial and operational management of the Mobile Coach for Cancer Screening
4. Establishing and implementing annual quality and access improvement plans, including performance targets, for areas identified through the OH-CCO / Regional Cancer Program quarterly performance reviews.
5. Through membership on OH-CCO’s Provincial Leadership Council, participating in establishing OH-CCO’s Ontario Cancer Plan, yearly priorities for action, and provincial targets.
6. Participating in provincial task forces and working groups to develop provincial guidelines and standards, and plans for their implementation.
7. Establishing and maintaining the Regional Cancer Program partnerships necessary to advance cancer system performance and yearly priorities.
8. Working through Regional Cancer Program partnerships with Indigenous communities to advance cancer control according to the principles and priorities of the Indigenous Cancer Program.
9. Advancing Regional Cancer Program partnerships with providers of cancer screening to ensure high-quality cancer screening across the RCP.
10. In consultation with OH-CCO provincial clinical program leaders, appointing and overseeing the activities of Regional clinical leaders who are responsible for implementing the clinical quality improvement agenda of the provincial program. With OH-CCO Provincial Program leaders, the RVP will hold annual performance reviews with these leaders.
11. Working with OH-CCO’s Provincial Office, provide planning advice for the distribution of incremental funding for cancer services in the Region.
12. Consulting regularly with leaders of other Regional institutions on plans for, and execution of, quality improvement initiatives, proposed allocations for incremental cancer services funding in the Region, and yearly targets for improvement in OH-CCO priority areas.
13. Working with OH-CCO Provincial Office, manage Hospital Partner Agreements between RCP partner hospitals and OH-CCO, including data and volume requirements and adherence to quality standards.
14. Overseeing the operating budget of the Regional Cancer Program.
15. Participating in the development and implementation of a comprehensive performance monitoring process and fostering a strong, organization-wide commitment to continuous quality improvement.

Knowledge, Skill & Experience:

The ideal candidate for the Vice President, Oncology & Palliative Care will have the ideal combination of the following knowledge, skills and experience:  

• A credible leader of clinical programs with progressive senior management experience gained within a large complex academic teaching hospital
• Minimum 10 years senior executive experience in acute care teaching hospital setting 
• Evidence of knowledge and applied understanding of Cancer Care
• Minimum Master’s Degree in Health Service Administration, Business Administration, or health-related area of graduate study is required
• Fellow (FCCHL) or Certified Health Executive (CHE) of the Canadian College of Health Leaders is preferred
• Eligibility for academic appointment with McMaster University
•  Minimum of 15 years of progressive experience in senior management roles within a community-focused, senior-focused and/or outpatient care environment
• Current or recent experience in an academic environment
• A decisive leader with demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and the ability to develop and maintain positive, effective working relationships both internally and externally
• A proven ability to lead and motivate a highly effective team
• An understanding of the delivery of cancer services in the province
• An affinity for fundraising
• Knowledge and experience in innovation and excellence of quality patient and family centered care
• A solid business acumen
• Has integrity, is energetic, takes initiative and has a positive approach to issues and people
• A highly motivated and energetic system thinker
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills
• Superior interpersonal skills
• Proven experience in managing all clinical and non clinical aspects of operations in a large academic teaching hospital environment, including significant operational management experience over services within a complex, matrixed healthcare organization
• Extensive experience facilitating and managing challenging situations (sometimes involving conflicting interests among the parties), and demonstration of outstanding interpersonal skills and background/experience in facilitating high-level multidisciplinary group decisions.
• Ability to work within a multi-disciplinary model and serve multiple constituents while balancing and reconciling multiple priorities.
• Ability to analyze financial implications of new business opportunities and new programs to ensure economic feasibility and operational excellence are understood in the context of clinical decisions.
• Track record of success in establishing positive and effective relationships with physicians, senior management and staff to develop and implement programs, processes, etc.
• Understanding of how to achieve results in an academic environment

To Apply

To express interest in this exciting opportunity please submit your cover letter and resume, in confidence, to https://www.miramsbecker.com/vp-oncology-jhcc-hhs-rvp-cco/

For additional information contact Hayley Becker at 647-267-8170.

Hamilton Health Sciences and Mirams Becker are committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace; we welcome applications from women, racially visible individuals, people with disabilities, Indigenous peoples, and LGBTQ+ persons.

Hamilton Health Sciences Centre is an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive, barrier-free recruitment and selection process. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage of the recruitment process providing the applicant has met the bona-fide requirements for the open position. If contacted for this employment opportunity, please advise if you require any accommodation.