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Health Services Management Officer

OFFICER | Full Time, Part Time

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    • Overview

    As a member of the military, previously known as Health Care Administration Officer, Health Services Management Officers provide leadership and management of health care services and delivery.  They apply the principles and practices of healthcare administration, resource-management organization and operations for the Canadian Forces Health Services. 

    Their primary responsibilities are to ensure that the health care system is managed effectively, that healthcare professionals are able to practice in a safe and efficient environment, and that Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members receive high-quality health care wherever they may be, in-garrison, on a base or wing in Canada, or deployed on international or domestic operations.

    Work environment

    Health Services Management Officers work in either operational units such as a Field Ambulance, the Field Hospital, aeromedical staging units and area medical support units, or in static facilities such as a clinic on a base or wing. They may also be employed at regional or national headquarters or in a training establishment, and may be expected to deploy on international or domestic operations.

    If you chose a career in the Regular Force, upon completion of all required training, you will be assigned to your first base. While there is some flexibility with regards to postings (relocations), accommodations can’t always be made, and therefore, you can likely expect to move at some point in your career. However, if you decide to join the Primary Reserve Force, you will do so through a specific Reserve unit. Outside of training, your chosen Reserve unit will be your workplace on a part time basis, and you will not be obligated to relocate to a different base. As part of the Primary Reserve Force, you typically work one night per week and some weekends as a minimum with possibilities of full-time employment.

    Career Overview

    Transcript

    Health Services Management Officer.

    Carly Montpellier:

    I'm Major Carly Montpellier from Sudbury, Ontario. And I'm a Health Services

    Management officer.

    Narrator:

    Health Services Management Officers or HSM’s for short, manage the delivery of health care to Canada soldiers, sailors and aviators. That's over 71,000 people across Canada and wherever our troops are stationed around the world.

    Carly Montpellier:

    HSM’s are the ones that are working behind the scenes. We're not the ones

    providing the direct patient care. So without the person coordinating the schedules in the background, making sure that the resources are available, making sure that you know, people are adequately trained, then we're not necessarily providing safe and efficient health care. So really, we're the people working behind the scenes to ensure that that can happen for our population.

    Narrator:

    Being a Health Services Management Officer in the Canadian Armed Forces calls for the same business and management skills required to manage a clinic or hospital in civilian life. That means managing all resources and projects to ensure that Canadian Armed Forces members receive a spectrum of care equivalent to what the most generous provincial or other federal government programs would provide in the same area. Additionally, as a platoon commander, an HSM may also manage their own team on overseas missions.

    Carly Montpellier:

    Some of the key aspects of our job, I would say, are Human Resource Management, Leadership, Guidance, Administration, Planning, Organization in terms of like training and operations. So really, depending on what your job is within health services, it could look a little bit different. You could focus on more one area than the other.

    The team is quite diverse, most of which are clinical trades. So some of the people that we would work with on a daily basis would be medical officers, nursing officers, physicians assistants, medical technicians, physiotherapists, mental health providers such as mental health nurses, social workers. So quite a large umbrella.

    Narrator:

    HSM’s also have the opportunity to work in one or more employment streams. In the operational environment, personnel management or in a clinical setting. As their career progresses,  HSM’s can be employed at regional or national headquarters or our national training facility and may have the opportunity to deploy on international or domestic operations.

    Carly Montpellier:

    My career has been quite diverse. I've had numerous deployments. I was able to sail with the U.S. Navy, which was huge. I've worked with the Army, with the Air Force, so there's just endless amounts of opportunity. I think overall, I'm extremely lucky and have had a quite a beautiful career.

    Related Civilian Occupations

    • Hospital Administrator
    • Hospital Operations Manager
    • Hospital Services Officer

    Training

    After enrolment, Health Services Management Officers attend Basic Military Officer Qualification (BMOQ) training at the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, for 12 weeks. Topics covered include general military knowledge, the principles of leadership, regulations and customs of the Forces, basic weapons handling, and first aid. Opportunities will also be provided to apply such newly acquired military skills in training exercises involving force protection, field training, navigation and leadership. A rigorous physical fitness program is also a vital part of basic training. BMOQ training is provided in English or French and successful completion is a prerequisite for further training.

    Learn more about Basic Training here.

    Health Services Management Officers attend the Canadian Forces Health Services Training Centre in Borden, Ontario, where they complete a series of formal military training courses and programs. These include:

    • Health Services Management Officer Basic Occupation Qualification. The course is delivered at the Canadian Forces Health Services Training Centre (CFHSTC) in Borden, Ontario. The course trains new Health Services Management Officers on the fundamentals of health services operations and health services management. 
    • Health Services Management Officers must complete the Common Health Services Officer (CHSO) course which is an eight-day e-learning course available on the Defence Learning Network (DLN).  The CHSO course introduces Health Services Management Officers to Canadian Armed Forces policies and procedures as well as HR management of military members and civilian personnel.
    • The Health Services Tactical Leadership Officer Course (HSTLOC) consists of a 40-day residency course delivered at CFHSTC in four progressive modules of 10 days each. The course delivers substantive training in tactical acumen and command of health services elements in a tactical environment. During this course, Health Services Management Officers learn how to apply health care management skills in the context of the CAF and in close support of Combat Arms units in the field on operations. 
    • Throughout their careers, there are additional training and courses that will prepare Health Services Management Officers for their employment in one of the four employment streams (Health Services Operational Support, Health Services Delivery Support, Health Services Personnel Administration Support, and Health Services Personnel Generation Support).

    Health Services Management Officers may be offered the opportunity to develop specialized skills through formal courses, on-the-job training, and professional conferences, including:

    • Leadership
    • Management
    • Administration
    • Instructional techniques

    There is also access to other Leadership, Management or Health relevant certificate/diploma programs which include the following: 

    • Accounting;
    • Canadian Healthcare Executive (CHE) / CHE Select;
    • Health Services Management (i.e. Ryerson PG certificate);
    • Health Analytics;
    • Health Informatics;
    • Health Law;
    • Disaster and Emergency Management;
    • Change Management;
    • Policy Analysis;
    • Data Analytics;
    • Information Management;
    • Human Resources; and
    • LEADS Coach or LEADS Facilitator.

    As they progress in their career, Health Services Management Officers who demonstrate the required ability and potential may be offered advanced training. Available courses include a Graduate/Post-graduate degree in:

    • Master of Business Administration;
    • Master of Disaster & Emergency Management;
    • Master of Health;
    • Master of Health Administration;
    • Master of Health Informatics;
    • Master of Management;
    • Master of Arts/Sc in Project Management;
    • Master of Program Management;
    • Master of Health Care Quality (or related programs):
    • Master of Health Policy; and
    • Master of Health Care Data Analytics.

    Entry plans

    If you already have a university degree, the CAF will decide if your academic program matches the criteria for this job. Basic training and military officer qualification training are required before being assigned.

    Regular Officer Training Plan (ROTP)

    Due to the requirement for a CAF officer to obtain a university degree, the CAF will pay successful recruits to complete a bachelor degree program in the Royal Military College System. Recruits will receive a full-time salary including medical and dental care, as well as vacation time with full pay in exchange for working in the CAF for a period of time. Typically, candidates enter the Canadian Military College System as an Officer Cadet where they study subjects relevant to both their military and academic career. In rare instances, based on the needs of the CAF, candidates may be approved to attend another Canadian University. A determination will be made on a case-by-case basis. If you are applying for this program, you must apply to the CAF and it is recommended to apply to other Canadian universities of your choice should you not be accepted for ROTP.

    For further information, please contact a Canadian Forces Health Services Recruiter: HSRecruiting-RecrutementSS@forces.gc.ca

    Learn more about our Paid Education programs here.

    Part time options

    The role of the Canadian Forces Health Services Reserves is to provide trained personnel to support, augment and sustain Canadian Forces Health Services organizations for CAF operations and training activities, while building and maintaining links between the Forces and the local community.

    This position is available for part-time employment with the Primary Reserve at certain locations across Canada. Reserve Force members usually serve part time with a health services unit in their community, and may serve while going to school or working at a civilian job. They are paid during their training. They are not posted or required to do a military move. However, they can volunteer to move to another base. They may also volunteer for deployment on a military mission within or outside Canada.
     

    Health Services Management Officers are employed to lead and manage health care services and delivery and to ensure that CAF members receive high-quality health care. Those employed on a part-time or casual full-time basis usually serve at a location within Canada.

    Find a Recruiting Centre

    Reserve Force members are trained to the same level as their Regular Force counterparts. Applicants with a university degree that matches the criteria for this job may be placed directly into the required on-the-job training program following basic officer training and qualification. Health Services Management Officers attend the Canadian Forces Health Services Training Centre in Borden, Ontario to achieve their qualification.

    Reserve Force members usually serve part-time with their home unit in a field environment for scheduled evenings and weekends, although they may also serve in full-time positions at some units for fixed terms, depending on the type of work that they do. They are paid 92.8% of Regular Force rates of pay, receive a reasonable benefits package and may qualify to contribute to a pension plan.