Physician Advisor - Northern Zone

Doctors Nova Scotia (DNS) is the professional association representing all physicians in the province. The association has more than 3,500 members, including practising physicians, retired physicians, medical students and residents. Doctors Nova Scotia is the collective voice of physicians in Nova Scotia. On behalf of the province’s doctors, the association is committed to working with all partners in health-care delivery to ensure Nova Scotia is positioned to recruit and retain talented and skilled physicians, introduce new and innovative ways to deliver health care, and continuously look for ways to improve patient care and access. Learn more about Doctors Nova Scotia by visiting www.doctorsns.com.

Our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion

Doctors Nova Scotia is committed to developing and supporting a more diverse, inclusive and equitable environment for both physicians and staff. This is a designated position open only tocandidates who identify as Black, Indigenous or a Person of Colour. We are committed to proactive and strategic outreach to attract candidates from those groups.

Equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) are woven into the fabric of DNS through an EDI framework. The association’s commitments to EDI are upheld through regular education sessions; a Respectful Workplace Policy for staff, Board and committee members; external audits; a staff EDI committee; and routine application of an equity lens in all organizational decision-making. If you have questions about how DNS can ensure a safer place of employment for you, or how the hiring process can accommodate your needs, we invite you to reach out to the Chair of our EDI Committee, Samantha Graham at samantha.graham@doctorsns.com.

Our opportunity

We want to fill a full-time, permanent position with our Physician Advisor team. As a member of that team, you will be the primary DNS contact for physician members in the Northern Zone (Colchester County and Municipality of East Hants, Cumberland County, and Pictou County). You will work directly with physicians in the Northern Zone to provide guidance and support in all facets of their professional practice. Ideally you would live in or near the Northern Zone or be able to commute to that area regularly. You will have the option to work remotely with periodic visits to our office in Dartmouth as needed. You are not required to be a physician.

Why work with us?
Being a part of the DNS team means you will be working in a dedicated, positive and supportive environment. When people come to work at Doctors Nova Scotia, they stay. That’s because we value our people and we’re passionate about what we do. We have an award-winning culture that inspires everyone to work to their full potential. Trust and accountability are the foundation of our workplace culture. Flexibility and fun are just a few of the elements that we cherish.

We offer an extensive combination of benefits and perks to inspire positivity and productivity.

• Flexibility/working remotely: To support work-life balance, we offer options for flexible work location and hours. Doctors Nova Scotiabelieves that flexibility in allowing employees to choose where and when they work plays a foundational role in maintaining our positive and productive organizational culture. You choose where you do your best work, and of course we will provide you with the tools and technology you need if you are working remotely.
• Half-day Fridays in the summer: You heard that right. Take off at noon and enjoy the sun while it’s here!
• Benefits plan: You will have access to a pension plan, health and dental plan, and employee and family assistance program while you’re with us.
• Vacation: You will be entitled to three weeks (15 days) of paid vacation – and we’ll encourage you to use it!
• Fun: We recognize that even though we are working, it’s important to have fun. Although working remotely has required us to be creative about staying connected and having fun, we still make it a priority.
• Location: If you are working at our office in Burnside, you’ll have access to lakeside trails just across the street and plenty of free parking for staff – and we’re just a minute from Dartmouth Crossing, for lunchtime errands and shopping.

Job responsibilities include:

• Providing advice, guidance and support to physicians through all stages of practice, including starting a new practice, care model planning/transition, parental leave planning, and retirement and succession planning.
• Educating physicians about the various remuneration models, incentive programs, contract options and medical billing.
• Helping physicians understand and navigate the approval and decision-making processes of various stakeholders (including Nova Scotia Health, the Department of Health and Wellness, and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia) and providing support throughout as needed.
• Supporting and advising physicians in their negotiations and discussions with Nova Scotia Health on various matters including payment plans, contracts and agreements, deliverables, practice plans, recruitment packages, and the credentialing and privileging process.
• Working with individual and groups of physicians to resolve issues with billings, audits, appeals and practice supports.
• Leading, collaborating and/or supporting initiatives to educate, inform or address specific needs identified by physicians.
• Providing advocacy and support for physicians when significant health-system issues arise and helping them build capacity to advocate for themselves when facing health-system concerns.
• Advising senior leadership on issues that impact the physician membership or specific groups.
• Collaborating with external stakeholders (Nova Scotia Health, Dalhousie Medical School) in supporting and promoting physician recruitment and retention.
• Engaging with community groups and/or representatives to build the community capacity necessary to support grass roots efforts toward recruitment, advocacy, healthy system infrastructure development and redesign.
• Representing DNS and, by extension, our members, while engaging with key stakeholder organizations at the local and provincial levels on broad system-planning issues.
• Representing DNS on external committees.
• Acting as a liaison between physicians and DNS staff.

Your skills and experience include:

• Five years of experience in the health-care sector.
• Knowledge of health-care systems, ideally in Nova Scotia.
• Excellent facilitation and conflict resolution skills.
• Experience in stakeholder engagement/consultation and the ability to operate successfully in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment.
• The ability to use good judgment, tact, diplomacy, discretion and creativity to build strong collaborative relationships with a variety of different stakeholders, some of whom may have conflicting mandates and interests.
• Being a highly effective communicator (oral, written and presentation) with strong interpersonal skills.
• Being solution-oriented and a broad-minded system thinker.
• The ability to work independently and collaboratively with a team to achieve collective success.
• Knowledge of physician services and physician compensation programs would be considered an asset.

Our requirements:

• A university degree in a business or health-related discipline, or equivalent training, education and experience.
• You must be willing to travel regularly within the province, have access to a vehicle and have a valid Nova Scotia driver’s license.

Salary:

Annual salary ranges from $77,000 - $97,000. Starting salary depends on the experience and skills the candidate brings to the position.

Closing Date: December 14, 2023

Interested? Please forward your resumé and cover letter to:

Debbie Traer

debbie.traer@doctorsns.com

Job Type: Full-time

Salary: $77,000.00-$97,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental care
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible schedule
• Life insurance
• Paid time off

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Supplemental pay types:

• Bonus pay

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Dartmouth, NS B3B 1X7