Palliative Care Coach, Ontario Health Team - Full Time Temporary (Approx June 1, 2026) - Markham Site

Land acknowledgement:

Oak Valley Health honours the traditional territory of the closest Indigenous communities, the Chippewas (chi-puh-waas) of Georgina Island and the Mississaugas of Scugog Island. The Haudenosaunee (Ho-de-no-shau-nee) and Anishinaabe (Ah-nish-in-ah-beh) have lived, worked and existed on this land from time immemorial. This land is covered by Treaty 13 signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit, and the Williams Treaty signed with many Mississauga and Chippewa bands.

Who you are:

·         You encompass Oak Valley Health’s core values and live the words of respect, trust, commitment, compassion and courage

·         You are a patient and/or client centered individual who performs at an exemplary standard

·         You are a team player with excellent communication, critical thinking and prioritization skills

What We Need:

The Clinical Coach is responsible for working with participating community organizations in alignment with provincial direction established by Ontario Health and guidance developed by the Ontario Palliative Care Network.  The Clinical Coach will drive practice change, with a focus on improving access to and quality of clinical care, aligned to the Palliative Care Health Services Delivery Framework in the Community (''The Delivery Framework'') and the Ontario Palliative Care Competency Framework.

The Clinical Coach will:

•        Provide palliative care coaching and mentoring to staff and clinicians in participating community organizations, to build primary-level palliative care competencies.

•        Collaborate with leaders of community organizations on local service integration, and change management initiatives, using quality improvement methodologies to achieve results.

•        Consult on clinical care when the complexity of the patients’ needs is beyond the existing competencies of providers (in the community organizations).

•        Provide support to Indigenous communities and Indigenous organizations for their implementation efforts, where Indigenous communities wish to be involved, in collaboration with regional partners.

What you bring to the role:

A.            Co-create the regional Delivery Framework implementation plan with Ontario Health, including required measurement and reporting.

•        Attend all regional planning meetings and contribute to the regional palliative care implementation plan, especially plans for education and practice change.

•        Keep comprehensive records and support data collection for measurement and reporting.

•        Provide feedback on key learnings related to coach role, along with providing input and reviewing regional progress reports as required.

B.            Foster regional collaboration and contribute to broader system integration.

•        Develop relationships with key partners to establish trust, credibility, and respect.

•        Clearly articulate key messages that resonate across different partner groups and audiences.

•        Update the regional implementation team on challenges and opportunities in the community.

•        Support Ontario Health Team planning and/or implementation of palliative models of care (where there is readiness).

C.            Ensure alignment of community implementation with the guidance of the Ontario Palliative Care Network

•                     Participate in relevant provincial level committees, working groups and task forces.

•                     Support the regional advisory groups and subject matter experts who provide clinical leadership.

D.            Lead engagement and community-building activities with participating organizations.

•                     Develop and present materials that express palliative care concepts and implementation plans effectively.

E.            Provide support to Indigenous communities and organizations for their implementation efforts, as requested by those organizations and, where appropriate, in collaboration with regional partners.

F.             Critically evaluate the quality of palliative care in participating community organizations.

•        Collaborate with leadership teams from participating community organizations to identify strengths and gaps in the palliative care they currently provide and in the relevant provider policies and practice documents.

•        Guide the creation of a quality improvement plan to address gaps.

G.            Build competency amongst front-line community providers in the delivery of primary-level palliative care.

•        Promote/provide palliative care education in participating community organizations, aligned to the Ontario Palliative Care Comptency Framework.

•        Provide informal, case-based educational opportunities (coaching) for health service providers in community organizations, incorporating principles of adult learning.

•        Provide palliative care mentoring for health service providers in the community.

•        Complement the work of educational organizations, such as Ontario CLRI and Pallium Canada.

H.            Guide palliative care quality improvement (QI) and practice change initiatives in participating community organizations.

•             Assist with quality improvement initiatives to implement the Delivery Framework (with an initial emphasis on the prioritized recommendations) by:

o    Providing education on QI methodologies and tools

o    Encouraging the application of QI to improve patient care.

o    Building internal and external relationships, to enhance communication among all staff.

o    Tracking and evaluating progress.

o    Sustaining best practice by updating policies and procedures.

o    Works closely with regional partners, including equity deserving populations, to ensure implementation of the model addresses barriers to access to care for priority populations

I.             Consult on clinical care

•        Offer consultation as a palliative care expert to service providers in person, onsite, by telephone, by videoconference or through email.

•                     Provide limited and occasional direct patient care

·         A degree in a registered health care discipline (e.g., RN, RSW, NP) with substantive experience and training in palliative care (e.g., CAPCE). A graduate degree is required (e.g., MScN, MSW).

·         Minimum five (5) years’ experience in practice in palliative care is required.

·         Knowledge of relevant legislation and reporting requirements, including the Fixing Long-Term Care Homes Act, the Excellent Care for All Act and the Compassionate Care Act and other pertinent legislation and regulations related to professional practice is required.

·         Experience supervising clinical staff is preferred.

·         Experience working with large-scale quality improvement initiatives.

·         Additional training in gerontology and project management experience are assets.

·         Strong clinical coaching and debriefing skills, with both individuals and teams.

·         Strong consultation skills, with expert knowledge of models of consultation and their application with individual, team and community service providers.

·         Research and/or program evaluation experience with knowledge of evidence-based processes, including appraisal of research, application of findings and collaboration on research.

·         Experience working with a range of roles, disciplines, and levels of staff in different health care settings.

·         Experience working across health care settings.

·         Fluency in French and/or another language is an asset.[AS1] 

·         A commitment to developing equity-based, evidence-informed approaches for delivering palliative care services for all people in Ontario, regardless of their age or illness.

·         A good understanding of regional priorities and local health care needs, within Ontario’s health care landscape.

·         Ability to work well under pressure and use good judgment in assessing difficult situations.

·         Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

·         Aptitude for proactive problem solving, using strong critical thinking, and negotiating skills.

·         A demonstrated ability to develop, deliver and evaluate training and coaching efforts.

·         An ability to develop relationships based on trust, compassion, and empathy.

·         Strong active listening and interpersonal communication skills for one-on-one coaching.

·         Experience designing education to effectively address palliative care training needs of interprofessional learners.

·         Excellent communication skills and experience with culturally responsive teaching

·         A demonstrated focus on person-centred care.

·         Supports the advancement of equity, inclusion, and diversity across Ontario's health care system.

·         Commitment to engage with First Nations, Indigenous, Métis and urban Indigenous people as they self-determine their own approach to palliative care.

·         Proficiency in educational technologies (e.g., webinars, apps) as well as knowledge of Microsoft Outlook, Word, Teams, PowerPoint, and Excel.

·         Access to reliable and efficient mode(s) of transportation to enable travel between community organizations.

Work involves minimal to moderate physical effort normally associated with both office and client-facing environments.  There is flexibility to change work activities, take a break or alter work position. 

Normal office environment as well as work in client-facing environments with no unusual or unpleasant conditions.  Travel within the Ontario Health Region or the assigned geographic catchment area is required.

Work Schedule:

 Monday - Friday Days

Please note schedules may change due to operational needs.

Compensation:

TBD

Who we are:

Oak Valley Health is one of Ontario’s leading community healthcare organizations. Across our two sites (Markham and Uxbridge) and Reactivation Care Centre (RCC), we provide high quality, patient-centred care to more than 468,000 patients each year. We offer diagnostic and emergency services and deliver clinical programs in acute care medicine and surgery, addictions and mental health, and childbirth and children’s services. We are also proud to be part of the Eastern York Region North Durham Ontario Health Team (OHT).

Our 542 physicians, 35 midwives, over 3,000 staff and 1,000 volunteers serve patients and families with an honoured to care mindset and are focused on delivering an extraordinary patient experience to the residents of Markham, Whitchurch-Stouffville, Uxbridge and beyond. We are dedicated to providing access to the right care, at the right time, in the right place by the right people and at the right cost. Are you ready to join us?

COVID Statement

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to strengthen and promote health protection to patients, staff and members of the public attending in the hospital, prior to the first day of employment with the Hospital, all successful candidates are required to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination (full vaccination is required). In order to provide you with fair & equitable accommodation, you must submit supporting medical exemption documentation or an affidavit detailing why your religion prohibits you from receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

Oak Valley Health diversity statement 

Oak Valley Health takes pride in serving some of Canada’s most diverse communities. We are committed to fostering an environment of equity and inclusivity where every person can work and receive care safely, openly and honestly. All qualified applicants will receive consideration and we encourage applications from Indigenous peoples, members of sexual minority groups, members of racialized groups, persons with disabilities, and all others who may contribute to the further diversification of Oak Valley Health. Furthermore, Oak Valley Health is committed to meeting the needs of all individuals in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and the Ontario Human Rights Code. Should you require accommodations during the recruitment and selection process, please contact Human Resources.

We are honoured to be recognized as one of Forbes Canada's Best Employers for Diversity 2023. We ranked within the top 150 organizations across the country. Learn more about our commitment to EDI.