Bayshore HealthCare is one of the Canada’s leading providers of home and community health care services and is a privately owned company. Bayshore HealthCare is proud to showcase its achievement as a Platinum member of Canada’s Best Managed Companies Program every year since 2006. In 2015, Bayshore achieved the designation for Best Practice Spotlight Organization from the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario. Bayshore Healthcare is also recognized as Canada’s Best Employers in Forbes 2023 list. With locations across the country, including more than 80 home care offices, 11 pharmacies and over 100 community care clinics, Bayshore has more than 18,000 staff members and provides care to over 400,000 clients annually. We are dedicated to enhancing the quality of life, dignity and independence of all Canadians.
JOB SUMMARY
Bayshore HealthCare is seeking an experienced Emergency Preparedness Specialist to lead the development, implementation, and sustainability of Emergency & Disaster Management programs across Transitional Care Unit (TCU) locations.
This temporary full-time contract position will focus on strengthening organizational preparedness, with primary responsibility for developing and implementing a comprehensive TCU Code Green (Evacuation) Program. The Specialist will work collaboratively with TCU operational leaders, Quality, Patient Safety & Experience, Health & Safety, hospital partners, and community organizations to establish standardized emergency preparedness practices that align with Accreditation Canada standards, regulatory requirements, and leading practices in healthcare emergency management.
The successful candidate will lead evacuation planning, emergency exercise design and evaluation, policy and procedure development, staff preparedness initiatives, and implementation of corrective actions arising from drills, emergency events, audits, and risk assessments.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Emergency Preparedness Program Development
• Lead the development, implementation, and maintenance of TCU-specific Code Green (Evacuation) policies, procedures, operational plans and tools.
• Ensure alignment with Accreditation Canada Emergency & Disaster Management standards and organizational requirements, policies & procedures.
• Conduct environmental scans, gap analyses, and risk assessments to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to establish consistent emergency preparedness practices across all TCU locations.
Code Green (Evacuation) Program Leadership
Lead the development and implementation of comprehensive site-specific evacuation plans for all TCU locations, including:
• Evacuation Planning
o Primary and secondary evacuation routes.
o Internal relocation processes.
o Horizontal evacuation procedures.
o Vertical evacuation procedures.
o Assembly and muster locations.
o Resident and patient tracking processes.
o Transportation arrangements and coordination.
o Off-site evacuation and relocation plans.
o Family communication processes.
o Hospital and community partner coordination procedures.
• Resident-Specific Planning
o Ensure evacuation plans address the needs of:
Ambulatory residents.
Non-ambulatory residents.
Residents requiring lifts or mobility devices.
Residents requiring wheelchairs or specialized equipment.
Residents with cognitive impairment.
Residents with behavioural support needs.
Residents requiring oxygen therapy.
Residents requiring medical equipment.
Residents requiring medication or treatment continuity during relocation.
• Emergency Relocation Planning
o Establish contingency plans for partial evacuations.
o Establish contingency plans for full evacuations.
o Develop site-specific relocation agreements and coordination plans.
o Support development and maintenance of evacuation partner relationships.
o Create resident prioritization and triage frameworks for evacuation events.
Emergency Exercise & Drill Program
• Develop and coordinate an annual emergency Code Green exercise schedule for all TCU sites.
• Coordinate, facilitate, evaluate and document:
• Tabletop exercises.
• Functional exercises.
• Mock evacuation exercises.
• Full-scale evacuation drills.
• Multi-agency emergency exercises.
• Responsibilities include:
• Scenario development.
• Exercise planning and logistics.
• Exercise facilitation.
• Observer coordination.
• Participant briefing and orientation.
• Debriefing activities.
• After-action reporting.
Evaluation & Continuous Improvement
• Conduct evacuation timing and performance testing.
• Assess evacuation readiness across all TCU locations.
• Evaluate staff response effectiveness during drills and real events.
• Assess communication effectiveness before, during, and after emergency events.
• Identify gaps, risks, and improvement opportunities.
• Document lessons learned and corrective action requirements.
• Develop after-action reports and improvement plans.
• Monitor completion of follow-up actions arising from drills, emergency events, accreditation findings, audits, and risk assessments.
Stakeholder Engagement & Collaboration
• Collaborate with TCU operational leaders, clinical leaders, Health & Safety, Quality, Patient Safety & Experience teams, and hospital partners.
• Support Emergency Preparedness and Response Committee initiatives.
• Engage external partners including emergency management organizations, first responders, transportation providers, hospitals, retirement residences, relocation partners, and community agencies.
• Participate in emergency preparedness working groups and project teams.
• Support communication and change management activities related to emergency preparedness initiatives.
Education & Awareness
• Develop educational materials, job aids, checklists, and preparedness resources.
• Deliver emergency preparedness education and awareness activities.
• Support the implementation of emergency response training programs.
• Promote a culture of preparedness and resilience across TCU operations.
• Provide coaching and guidance to leaders and staff regarding evacuation planning and emergency response requirements.
Documentation & Reporting
• Develop and maintain emergency preparedness documentation and records.
• Prepare executive summaries, project updates, dashboards, and reports.
• Track program deliverables, milestones, risks, and action plans.
• Support accreditation readiness activities and evidence collection.
• Maintain records of drills, exercises, evaluations, corrective actions, and annual reviews.
Work Location : Bayshore Healthcare, National Office, Mississauga ON
Hybrid – At least 2 days onsite weekly
* This role is a 6 month contract*
Education
• Degree or diploma in Emergency Management, Healthcare Administration, Public Safety, Nursing, Health Sciences, Occupational Health & Safety, Business Continuity, or a related field is required.
• Certification in Emergency Management, Incident Command System (ICS), Business Continuity, or related discipline considered an asset.
Experience
• Minimum 3–5 years of experience in emergency preparedness, emergency management, healthcare operations, quality improvement, business continuity, or a related field.
• Experience developing emergency response plans and evacuation procedures.
• Experience coordinating emergency exercises, drills, or preparedness programs.
• Experience working within healthcare or congregate care environments preferred.
• Experience supporting accreditation, regulatory compliance, or quality improvement initiatives considered an asset.
Knowledge & Skills
• Knowledge of healthcare emergency management principles.
• Knowledge of Incident Command System (ICS) structures and emergency response frameworks.
• Understanding of evacuation planning and continuity of operations.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Excellent facilitation and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deliverables.
• Strong written communication, presentation, and reporting skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
Education
• Degree or diploma in Emergency Management, Healthcare Administration, Public Safety, Nursing, Health Sciences, Occupational Health & Safety, Business Continuity, or a related field is required.
• Certification in Emergency Management, Incident Command System (ICS), Business Continuity, or related discipline considered an asset.
Experience
• Minimum 3–5 years of experience in emergency preparedness, emergency management, healthcare operations, quality improvement, business continuity, or a related field.
• Experience developing emergency response plans and evacuation procedures.
• Experience coordinating emergency exercises, drills, or preparedness programs.
• Experience working within healthcare or congregate care environments preferred.
• Experience supporting accreditation, regulatory compliance, or quality improvement initiatives considered an asset.
Knowledge & Skills
• Knowledge of healthcare emergency management principles.
• Knowledge of Incident Command System (ICS) structures and emergency response frameworks.
• Understanding of evacuation planning and continuity of operations.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Excellent facilitation and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deliverables.
• Strong written communication, presentation, and reporting skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
