EMERGENCY HEALTH SERVICES (EHS): Senior Medical Director

Emergency Health Services (EHS) is committed to providing high‑quality, patient‑centered emergency and pre‑hospital care across the province. EHS delivers integrated ground ambulance, air ambulance, dispatch, clinical oversight, and mobile integrated health (community paramedicine) programs that support Albertans during medical emergencies and inter‑facility transport.
  
The Senior Medical Director (SMD), Emergency Health Services provides senior physician leadership for provincial EHS programs and reports to the Chief of People and Practice Excellence. Together, they provide clinical and medical leadership to ensure safe, effective, efficient, and coordinated EHS delivery across Alberta.
  
This role provides direction on provincial clinical standards, medical control protocols, quality assurance, performance improvement, and the strategic evolution of the EHS system. The SMD is an active member of the EHS Executive Leadership Team (ELT).
  
The position may be based in any major Alberta center. Occasional provincial and national travel may be required.
   
ACCOUNTABILITIES / DELIVERABLES
 
The Senior Medical Director works in partnership with the EHS Executive Leadership Team to provide medical direction and oversight for all provincial EHS activities. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
 
1.    Actively participate in the ongoing development and implementation of a provincial EHS strategic plan including pre-hospital emergency response, dispatch services, inter-facility transfers, mobile integrated health, and provincial air ambulance;
2.    Be accountable for providing clinical oversight for EHS professionals employed by or affiliated with EHS, including required clinical policies and medical control protocols;
3.    Jointly oversee the provincial strategic plan including pre-hospital emergency response, dispatch services, inter-facility transfers and provincial air ambulance;
4.    Oversee the ongoing development of a Provincial EHS quality assurance and improvement program;
5.    Provide administrative leadership, including performance management, coaching and mentoring of the EHS Medical Director team;
6.    Serve as Co-Chair of the EHS Research Committee. Receive, review, and approve EMS research projects within the guidelines of the Committee. Provide leadership and guidance to the EMS Research program.
7.    Actively participate with other ACA strategic and operational portfolios.
 
LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENTS
 
The Emergency Health Services Act and associated Regulations, establish the medical oversight structure for EHS in Alberta. While these documents are under revision, the current Regulation identifies the Provincial Medical Director and medical directors within the health region. The Provincial Medical Director is the highest level of medical oversight authority and is responsible to work with regions to develop, establish, and maintain medical care protocols, oversee direction provided by health region medical directors, and may make directives regarding medical care and oversight of the EHS system. 
 
The Regulation defines a medical director’s qualifications as: 
S. 9(2) A regional health authority must not employ or engage a person as a medical director unless that person; 
(a) is a physician who is registered as a medical practitioner under the Medical Profession Act within Alberta and who is not under suspension, 
(b) has emergency department privileges in an Alberta hospital, and 
(c) has completed the National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP) Medical Director course, or an equivalent course or program, or has equivalent experience

Duties of a medical director 
S10 Every person who is employed or engaged as a medical director under this Regulation must; 
(a) consult with the Provincial Medical Director on the development and maintenance of medical protocols when requested to do so by the Provincial Medical Director, 
(b) provide direction to an ambulance attendant (ambulance) or ambulance operator, 
(c) monitor compliance with the direction provided to an ambulance attendant (ambulance) or to an ambulance operator in the form and manner required by a regional health authority or the Provincial Medical Director, and 
(d) comply with any directive issued, or reporting requirement made, by the Provincial Medical Director.
The Senior Medical Director is the head of EHS medical oversight who oversees all Emergency Health Services medical directors and liaises/consults with the Provincial Medical Director to ensure EHS meets expectations and requirements under the Emergency Health Services Act.