Covenant Health in partnership with Alberta Health Services and the Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta, invites applications for a Family Medicine Physician to join a dynamic multidisciplinary team at the Grey Nuns Community Hospital, Child Health Clinic, Edmonton, Alberta.

Covenant Health is committed to promoting diversity, inclusion, and equity.  The principles of equity and diversity are applied in the creation of the search and selection committee, and all members of the search and selection team will have completed implicit Bias and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion education.

The Child Health Clinic shares a valued partnership with the Ministry of Children and Family Services (CFS), through the Pediatrics for Kids in Care (PKIC) program. Supporting one another, we are able to provide children, youth and families a specialized trauma informed multi-disciplinary team that focuses on the physical, mental and social/emotional well-being of those we serve. Our clinic addresses trauma symptomology using a bio-psycho-social-spiritual approach with a focus on regulating internal and external trauma symptoms.

Our dynamic team consists of physicians, RN’s, LPN’s, social workers, child life specialist, child psychiatrist, delegated CFS child intervention practitioners and supervisor, unit manager, and administration support. We also have a team of lovely volunteers who support play. We are actively recruiting Nurse Practitioners and are hopeful to add a clinical nurse specialist to our team in 2025.  Within our anticipated ARP model, we have secured funding for a mental health specialist and OT/SLP. 

Working with our complex and vulnerable population can be upsetting at times so we have an open-door policy which allows for sharing and supporting one another. When faced with a particularly distressing situation, we dedicate time to whole team debriefing sessions, creating safe and welcoming workspaces. We also benefit from regularly scheduled Team Care gatherings encouraging mindfulness and self-care.

We enjoy a large space on the 4th floor of the St. Marguerite building located at the Grey Nuns Hospital. We boast an energetic waiting room for families with vivid and uplifting colors in a vibrant, fun, and comfortable space. We have a front play area and a separate large playroom to encourage children to feel free to play in their own way and on their own terms to develop strength and coordination and to improve their mental health, foster social skills, communication, and creativity.  There are dedicated office spaces for our physicians and plenty of stimulating exam rooms, some of which can accommodate larger groups which may include caregivers, biological parents, CFS child intervention practitioners and any number of professional support team members.

We strive to deliver comprehensive, patient-centered, holistic, and compassionate care to the children, youth and families we serve by offering wrap around support and providing a medical home for those we minister to. We provide counselling and support on a wide range of health and lifestyle issues. Together, we create personalized treatment plans, including medication management, lifestyle modifications, and preventive care. We appreciate the strong working relationships we have established with key community partners and stakeholders and collaborate across medical disciplines and within multiple government ministries (Education, Justice, CFS and Health services).

This position will be up to 1.0 FTE; flexible hours will be considered.

Required:

• 2 years of clinical experience 
• MD or equivalent
• Licensed or eligible for licensure with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta
• Certification by the College of Family Physicians (CCFP)
• Experience working with all ages including newborns, children, adolescents and adults
• Willingness to contribute to child abuse examinations together with the pediatrician
• Be willing to provide education to medical learners at various levels of training
• Be agreeable to contribute to after-hours telephone support for families accessing primary care through 1D1 Peadiatric Clinic at the Stollery Children's Hospital.

Preferred:

• Understanding of childhood trauma and ACE's
• Knowledge of childhood development and delays
• Expertise identifying and responding to emotional, mental, and physical needs of children and families, specific to childhood trauma
• Working knowledge of Children and Family Services legislation is an asset
• Familiarity with Connect Care is an asset
• The successful candidate will have essential interpersonal skills to successfully collaborate with academic and community colleagues
• Expertise and commitment to quality care and patient safety
• Demonstrated commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in the healthcare environment
• Understanding of Just Culture and its role in healthcare

You will enjoy a meaningful work-life balance as we work together with you to accommodate your schedule and personal needs easily. We are also flexible with holiday and time off arrangements, with our team providing back-up and patient monitoring. A typical work week is Monday-Friday, 9-5, with 7 clinical and 3 administration sessions. You will be providing care at a unique pace with a generous allotment of time for each family’s appointment.

Generally, our last patient is scheduled for 3:15, leaving time to complete the day’s charting.