Director, Standards, Access and Patient Flow

Alberta Health Services; Calgary; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization in Calgary is seeking a Director of Standards, Access, and Patient Flow. This senior role requires expertise in healthcare management and proven leadership experience. The successful candidate will guide policy development, oversee provincial patient flow strategies, and collaborate with diverse stakeholders to improve acute care performance. Applicants should possess a Master's degree and significant experience in decision support roles within healthcare.

Qualifications

• 5-10 years in a decision support or Clinical Operations role, preferably in healthcare.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, and influencing skills.
• Demonstrated leadership skills and decision-making abilities.

Responsibilities

• Develop and refine provincial policies and standards for patient flow.
• Lead design and execution of strategies to resolve system flow challenges.
• Oversee operation of the provincial Integrated Operations Centre.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Project Management

Negotiation

Analytical Thinking

Education

Master's Degree in Health Care Management or related field

Job description

Your Opportunity

The Director, Standards, Access and Patient Flow, is a senior provincial leadership role within the Operational Oversight and Care Coordination portfolio of Acute Care Alberta (ACA). Reporting to the Senior Lead, this position provides strategic direction and expert oversight for province-wide patient flow, associated standards and operation of the Integrated Operations Centre (IOC), with leadership that directly impacts acute care performance and patient outcomes. As a recognized subject matter expert, the Director leads a team of multidisciplinary team members in designing policies, standards and capabilities of Health Service Delivery Organizations (HSDOs). The Director leads a team that uses advanced systems to optimize the flow of patients across the province and HSDOs, through the standardization of Information Technology tools, and processes, enabling ACA to meet its strategic vision and priorities. The Director also leads the development of provincial policy and operational standards for effective bed management strategies across the HSDOs. The Director proactively leads continuous system analysis to identify opportunities for improvement, collaborating with Government Ministries, ACA Senior Leaders, HSDOs and cross-sector partners to co-create scalable, evidence-based strategies and solutions. This role requires a high level of independence, integration and partnership across internal and external parties, including influencing, negotiating and mediating solutions for complex issues in capacity management. This includes developing and maintaining effective, positive relationships and fostering a climate of cooperation with internal and external stakeholders, including senior leadership, government, public agencies, service providers and community partners.

Responsibilities

Strategic Policy Leadership: Provide expert leadership in the development, implementation, and continuous refinement of provincial policies and standards that drive system-wide improvements in patient flow, access, and acute care delivery. Ensure alignment with HSDOs’ and ACA’s transformation agenda.

System Flow Innovation: Lead the design and execution of evidence-informed strategies that address complex system flow challenges across the continuum of care. Integrate data analytics, Senior Leader and team insights, and operational intelligence to develop scalable, high-impact solutions. Responsible for the oversight and operation of the provincial IOC, including the functional requirements for provincial system wide acute care coordination and effective collaboration with HSDOs, Emergency Health Services (EHS) and across other agencies. Lead the provincial response related to issues in provincial flow coordination and capacity management, including development of standards, protocols and policy to coordinate patient flow between organizations/agencies within the acute care system. This includes provincial surge capacity during times of high demand or emergency response.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications: Master\'s Degree in Health Care Management, Health Sciences, Business Administration, Nursing, Allied Health Profession or related health care field is required or a combination of education and experience will be considered. This position will be part of Acute Care Alberta effective April 1, 2025. By applying on this posting, if you are the successful candidate, you agree to and will become an employee of Acute Care Alberta.

Additional Required Qualifications: A minimum of 5-10 years in a decision support role, or Clinical Operations, preferably in healthcare and ideally in an organization of significant size, complexity, and diversity is required. Previous experience supporting clinical operational areas and/or direct clinical leadership experience. Experience in the development and/or implementation of new and emerging processes. Demonstrated strong communication, interpersonal, negotiating and influencing skills when dealing with both internal staff and external parties. Strong project management and organizational skills. Able to establish and adjust priorities effectively manage risk in accordance with competing demands and complex issues. Demonstrated confidence and ability to communicate and work effectively at a senior Leadership level with internal and external parties. Track record of creating metric-driven strategic partnerships that achieved or exceeded ambitious goals. Ability to interact at the most senior levels and will participate as a key member of the executive leadership team. Demonstrated leadership skills, including demonstrated ability and comfort with decision making responsibilities, coaching and teaching, and the ability to inspire and build confidence in others. A demonstrated clear pattern of professional and personal development. Demonstrated ability to problem-solve with a systems perspective incorporating the ACA’s priorities and strategies when developing solutions to problems.

Preferred Qualifications: As required.