Description:
Northern Health Authority is seeking a Pediatrician to join its team at Fort St. John Hospital in Fort St. John, British Columbia, a dynamic city known for its growing population and young families. With over 650 deliveries annually and a quarter of the regional population under 18 years old, this role offers an exceptional opportunity for a Pediatrician looking to establish a fulfilling practice in a supportive community.
This is a hybrid position that combines office-based consulting pediatric practice with hospital on-call coverage, serving both the local community and neighboring rural areas. As a teaching site for the University of British Columbia (UBC) Medicine, the successful candidate will also participate in teaching Family Medicine Residents and medical students, with eligibility for a UBC Clinical Faculty appointment.
Key Responsibilities:
- Provide consulting pediatric services in a private clinic (independent practice or join existing group practice).
- Deliver on-call hospital coverage, including consultations to the emergency department, stabilizing critically ill neonates and children before transfer, and offering phone advice to rural primary care providers.
- Attend newborn deliveries upon request (handling infants born as early as 36 weeks gestation).
- Support and collaborate with the Fort St. John Child Development Centre, which includes pediatric occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and speech-language services.
- Participate in opportunities for subspecialty work, including Complex Developmental/Behavioral Conditions and Autism assessments.
- Travel to neighboring rural communities to provide visiting pediatric clinics if desired.
- Contribute to medical education, quality improvement initiatives, leadership roles, and/or clinical research.
Facility Overview:
Fort St. John Hospital is a state-of-the-art 55-bed acute care hospital with a 123-bed residential care facility, serving a population of approximately 23,000 with a regional catchment of around 70,000.
- Over 25,000 emergency visits annually
- Services include:
- 24/7 Emergency Department
- Diagnostic Imaging (CT, MRI, Ultrasound, X-ray)
- Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
- Day Surgery
- Acute Care
- Prenatal Clinic & Birthing Centre
- Community Cancer Centre
- Community Hemodialysis
- Visiting Specialist Clinic
- Local specialists: Obstetrics & Gynecology, General Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Radiology, Psychiatry, and Pathology.
Qualifications:
- Board-certified Pediatrician (Canadian or US certification accepted).
- Eligibility for a UBC Clinical Faculty appointment.
- Willingness to participate in on-call hospital coverage.
- Ability to collaborate with family physicians, emergency staff, obstetricians, and allied health professionals.
- Interest in teaching and mentoring medical learners.
Compensation & Benefits:
- Compensation: Fee-for-Service, estimated at $350,000+ annually.
- Overhead: Negotiable.
- Vacation Leave: 8 weeks annually, including time for CME.
- Rural Subsidiary Agreement (RSA) incentives:
- Retention Premium: 21.70%
- Retention Flat Fee: $33,629
- Relocation Allowance:
- $15,000 if moving from outside Canada
- $12,000 if moving within Canada (outside BC)
- $9,000 if moving within BC
- Recruitment Incentive: $20,000
- Rural Continuing Medical Education Allowance: $1,800 to $7,800 per year
- Rural Education Action Plan (REAP) funding available
About Fort St. John:
Known as “The Energetic City,” Fort St. John offers:
- Affordable housing (apartments, townhomes, condos, single-family homes)
- Diverse recreational activities year-round:
- Olympic-sized indoor speed skating oval
- Golf, tennis, yoga, dance, mountain biking, hiking, kayaking, swimming, fishing, camping, snowmobiling, hockey, and more
- Strong education options:
- 7 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, 1 high school, and 1 private K-12 school
- Post-secondary education through Northern Lights College and University of Northern British Columbia
- Excellent air travel access with daily flights to Vancouver and Calgary
- Thriving local industries: agriculture, forestry, natural gas, construction, and transportation
About Northern Health:
Northern Health serves over 300,000 residents across northern British Columbia, providing comprehensive health services and fostering an environment for innovation, learning, and professional growth. Pediatricians in the Northern Health region form a collaborative network, supporting one another across communities.
Equal Opportunity Employer:
Northern Health values diversity, inclusion, and equity, welcoming applicants from all backgrounds and experiences.