Role and Facility Information
About Us
The First Nations Primary Care Initiative (FNPCI) is a partnership between the Ministry of Health, First Nations Health Authority and Indigenous communities throughout the Province with a purpose to increase primary care access and attachment to primary care clinicians, with a focus on collaborative, team-based, culturally-safe care.
All FNPCI’s in British Columbia are First Nations-Led. The Pata'yi FNPCI, located on North Vancouver Island is society operated (The North Vancouver Island Primary Care Initiative Health Society) and governed through a Board of Directors from each of the ten Kwakwaka’wakw Nations the FNPCI serves: Kwakiutl, Mamalilikulla First Nation, Dzawada’enuxw First Nation, Kwikwasut’inuxw Haxwa’mis First Nation, Gwawaenuk Tribe, Gwa’sala- ‘Nakwaxda’xw Nations, T'łatłasik'wa̱la’la First Nation, Quatsino First Nation, and Da’naxda’xw First Nation.
The First Nations Nations Health Authority is proud to support the Kwakwaka’wakw FNPCI and its Society with recruitment and contracting of Medical Staff. The first of its kind in Canada, FNHA works as a health-and-wellness partner with BC First Nations to support self-determination and decision-making to improve health outcomes. FNHA has been named one of BC's Top Employers for 2025. Learn more about why we were selected here https://reviews.canadastop100.com/top-employer-first-nations-health-authority
TITLE: Family Physician - Successful applicants may eligible for a 0.2 FTE medical lead
CONTRACT: Contract from 0.2 FTE up to a 1.0 FTE-typically 1680 hours a year per FTE
LOCATION: Kwakwaka’wakw Communities on Northern Vancouver Island
Physician Master Agreement Full Scope range placement of $302,113 - $377,641 subject to whether scope of services includes facility-based coverage. Additional Rural Retention Program Premium of 22.26%. Compensation is scaled to Full Time Equivalent. Additional incentives may apply subject to eligibility. Family Physicians are not required to contribute to overhead and typically a renewable contract will be negotiated.
Why Work At The Pata'yi Primary Care Centre
The Pata'yi FNPCI is grounded in the following Kwakwaka’wakw values:
- Gilakas’la: Welcome and gratitude
- Ga’walap̓a: To help one another
- Namwayut: We are all one
- Sanala: Holistic living
- Maya’xala: Respect
- Maya’xalap̓a: Respect one another.
We are committed to weaving traditional ways of knowing with a focus on wholistic wellness built on a culturally-safe and two-eyed seeing approach to healthcare. We believe in work-life balance and creating an environment where personal and professional growth are supported and encouraged.
About The Role
Step into a collaborative team where your expertise as a Family Physician is not just needed but celebrated. You'll join a vibrant group of healthcare professionals including Advanced Scope Registered Nurses, Social Workers, Pharmacist, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Mental Health Clinicians, Medical Office Assistants and Traditional Healers. Through a foundational collaborative-care model, our team seeks to provide seamless and culturally-safe wrap-around care.
The Family Physician will be the most responsible provider for a patient panel and is expected to collaborate in team-based care for patients and support the practice of Western and Traditional Wellness approaches to patient health. A minimum panel size is typically expected to reach 650 per 1.0 FTE by year 3 and will be confirmed in the clinical service contract. The Family Physician will be expected to travel on a pre-arranged schedule to different sites to be available for appointments within the community in keeping with the First Nations value of services closer to home.
The Family Physician (FP) will be responsible for practicing with cultural humility, to provide primary care in a team-based environment that recognizes the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of the client (and family) to provide whole person care, in compliance with policies and procedures of acceptable BC health and wellness regulations and standards.
About You
- You are passionate about supporting First Nations individuals and families on their health and wellness journeys;
- You have an active practicing license in good standing with the College of Physicians of BC (CPSBC);
- You have training in Cultural Safety & Humility or are willing to take this training;
- Ideally you have experience working with First Nations people and communities and providing culturally safe care.
- Current valid driving license and willingness to travel to sites primarily throughout the Northern Vancouver Island region
WHY LIVE ON NORTHERN VANCOUVER ISLAND
North Vancouver Island is a vast and rugged wilderness ranging from the Broughton Island Archipelago to old growth rainforests in Cape Scott Provincial Park. We are a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts with world-class fishing, hiking, skiing and sea-kayaking. There are three larger communities: Port Hardy, Port McNeill and Port Alice that are adjacent to the culturally-vibrant First Nations communities of Gwa’sala-‘Nakwada’xw, Kwakiutl, Quatsino and ‘Namgis each of which has a Health Centre where our team provides care. We also provide care in the remote communities of Dzawada’enuxw First Nation, Kwikwasut’inuxw Haxwa’mis First Nation that are only accessible by boat or air. Finally, we have clinic-space partnerships with community-based organizations: North Island Building Blocks, Foundry, Sacred Wolf Friendship Centre and FNHA Midwifery Clinic.
How To Apply
If you are looking to join an amazing team passionate about providing compassionate and wholistic primary care to Indigenous people and communities, please apply to Health Match.
ANTICIPATED HIRE DATE: As soon as possible.
The First Nations Health Authority is a first of its kind in Canada and is committed to respecting diversity within our workforce; preference will be given to individuals who identify as First Nations, Inuit, or Métis.
For information about Cultural Safety and Humility visit (https://www.fnha.ca/what-we-do/cultural-safety-and-humility) and for information about Land Acknowledgements visit (https://www.fnha.ca/Documents/FNHA-Territory-Acknowledgements-Information-Booklet.pdf)
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Terms
Compensation
Compensation Type Clinical Service Contract Estimated Remuneration Varies- see above Physician Overhead n/a
Benefits and Incentives
May be eligible for additional remuneration in accordance with the Rural Subsidiary Agreement (RSA) including: Retention Premium 22.26% Relocation Funding Available $varies Recruitment Incentive $as eligible
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