Head, Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

The University of Ottawa, Faculty of Medicine and
The Ottawa Hospital Department of Medicine
Ottawa, ON

Description:
The Department of Medicine of the Faculty of Medicine (Faculty), University of Ottawa (uOttawa), The Ottawa Hospital (TOH/Hospital) and Bruyère Health is looking for a visionary leader with excellence in academic and clinical leadership to be its next Head of the Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R).

Responsibilities:
The TOH/uOttawa Division Head is accountable to the Chair/Head of the Department of Medicine in fulfilling the mission, vision and goals of the Department, the Hospital and the Faculty, in particular as they relate to the Division. The Division Head holds a joint appointment as university academic head as well as clinical services lead at TOH. The Division of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation is an academically intensive division with 14 FTAs and 15 PTAs. Members are internationally renowned for their research and education. Excellent patient care is provided in dedicated interprofessional subspecialty clinics.

In the role of Division Head at TOH, the Division Head collaborates with the Administrative Director for Post-Acute Care, sharing accountability to ensure the hospital’s vision, mission, and goals are achieved. The dyad is responsible for strategic planning, overall performance, engagement, quality, operations, budget, capital, and service planning. This leadership dyad works together to drive clinical and organization excellence, foster teamwork, promote transparency, and strengthen accountability for performance and outcomes at the division level.

In the role of Department Head for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Bruyère Health, the Department Head reports to the Chief of Staff. They also represent the department at both the Medical Advisory Committee and Senior Strategy Team meetings. In a Dyad model with the Director of Stroke Rehabilitation and Allied Health, the Department Head contributes to strategic planning and oversees the overall performance of both the Stroke Rehabilitation program and the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation department. Additionally, the Department Head is responsible for driving academic productivity in research, education, and quality.

Qualifications:
The successful candidate will have demonstrated academic and clinical leadership as well as strong organizational skills and have achieved the University rank of Associate or Full Professor. The vision for PM&R must include a strong commitment to build on the current academic successes including post-graduate education. The successful candidate must hold an MD degree; be eligible for membership in the Canadian Medical Protective Association; have or be eligible for certification in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada; and have, or be eligible for, licensure in Ontario.

The uOttawa and TOH are bilingual institutions and, therefore, in the case of potentially successful candidates of equal ability, a bilingual (French/English) candidate would be preferred.

Additional Information:
The Ottawa Hospital is a 1150 bed tertiary-care hospital serving Eastern Ontario. There are approximately 50,000 inpatient admissions, 160,000 emergency visits and over one million outpatient visits annually. 

The Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Centre (TOHRC) is the tertiary care centre for the region that provides both inpatient and outpatient specialized rehabilitation services to individuals with a wide range of musculoskeletal and neurological impairments that impact their functional abilities. As part of TOH, it offers comprehensive, patient-centered care aimed at improving functional independence, mobility, and overall quality of life for individuals with disabilities or injuries. The Division of PM&R has 70 inpatient beds at TOH and an outpatient clinic with greater than 3200 physician visits annually.  The centre utilizes an interdisciplinary team approach, involving physiatrists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and other healthcare professionals (with a total FTE of 108.5 allied health care providers) to deliver holistic care that addresses both the physical and psychological aspects of recovery. Its commitment to innovation and excellence makes it a hub for rehabilitation care in the region.

Ground-breaking medical research is conducted through The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) and the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. We rank 5th in Canada for competitive, peer-reviewed grants from the prestigious Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Over 2,300 researchers are publishing more than 2,200 studies yearly, with hundreds being high-impact publications (top 10% or citations).

The Department of Medicine is a research-intensive Department. Members currently hold 25 University Research Chairs. The Department receives approximately $60 million per year in external research funding and members publish approximately 1200 peer-reviewed publications annually. The Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is dedicated to both education and research, contributing to advancements in rehabilitation practices with 30 peer-reviewed publications and greater than $ 5.6 million in grants in 2024. We have a fully accredited Residency Training Program (2024) that has been recognized by the Royal College for it’s dedicated and engaged faculty members, the culture of open feedback, and for being highly responsive to resident input. 

The Faculty of Medicine is a nationally recognized leader, ranked among Canada’s top-tier medical faculties. As the most research-intensive Faculty at the University of Ottawa, the Faculty of Medicine contributes significantly to the University being ranked 5th in the country for total research revenues (Research InfoSource), routinely 2nd or 3rd in Canada for research intensity in Medicine/Science grants (McLean’s), 4th in Canada for citations (2022 THE rankings) and 1st for overall growth in Tri-council funding over the past two decades. 

The University of Ottawa is the largest bilingual (English/French) university in the world and the Faculty of Medicine first and largest bilingual medical school in Canada. The Faculty of Medicine has a long history of conducting the highest quality basic and clinical research, in close partnership with five affiliated academic hospitals and six research institutes. The Web of Science recently published a list of the most highly cited researchers in the world, where seven out of eight researchers identified from the uOttawa are from the Faculty of Medicine. Together, these remarkable achievements are a strong testament to the competitiveness and excellence of our Faculty that extend to all our educational programs. 

As part of Bruyère Health, Élisabeth Bruyère Hospital is situated in the heart of the Byward Market. Bruyère Health is Ottawa’s second largest health care provider and Ottawa’s largest provider of stroke rehabilitation, with 33 inpatient beds and 870 consultations/outpatient visits annually.  

The City of Ottawa provides a thriving multicultural and bilingual environment. Ottawa boasts numerous cultural activities as well as readily accessible sporting and natural resources, making it an ideal family and healthy living environment.

The Department of Medicine is committed to upholding the values of equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in our living, learning, and work environments. We encourage qualified applicants from all groups with historical and/or current barriers to equity to apply. Upon request, accommodations due to a disability are available throughout the recruitment process. 

Please note Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority. We sincerely thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Terms of Employment: 
The income for this position is derived from a variety of sources including but not limited to clinical billings (fee-for-service), salary support (AFP) as well as honorariums/stipends.  Health and welfare benefits including extended health, dental and disability insurance as well as life insurance are offered to full-time physicians.

Application Process: 
Please forward a 1-2 page letter of intent, 3 references (who will not be contacted without permission) and a CV to Dr. Greg Knoll, Chair/Head, Department of Medicine The Ottawa Hospital and University of Ottawa at domcareers@toh.ca.

Posting Closing Date:
May 12, 2025