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ATTENDING PHYSICIAN
TRANSITIONAL CARE UNIT (TCU), DEER LODGE CENTRE
The Transitional Care Unit (“TCU”) at Deer Lodge Centre (“DLC”) is a unit for adult patients who no longer require all the resources of an acute hospital, but who need time for community services, such as housing and/or home care to be arranged; are awaiting assessment for admission to Long Term Care or Supportive housing; or those waiting for Hospice services. It is anticipated that most clients will reside in the TCU for a maximum of 90 days. Patients admitted to TCU are cared for by an Attending Physician and an interdisciplinary team.
Patients are assessed and added to the TCU admission waitlist by the Central Bed Access team at each acute hospital site.
Patients types appropriate for TCU admission:
i. Patients with an established diagnosis that do not require additional investigation
ii. Patients with low risk for rapid decline
iii. Patients whose behavioral and neurological difficulties can be safely managed by TCU staff and within the allocated staffing base, with an established care plan
iv. Have the capacity to benefit from a short-term period of care in a non-hospital environment in order to:
• complete their restorative process; or
• optimize their functional capacity, and/or
• assist in making long-term arrangement for their care
2. Description of Position
The TCU Attending Physician will be responsible for the medical care provided to TCU patients – the DLC TCU will have 22 patients. The Attending Physician must abide by the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (“WRHA”) Medical Staff Rules and Regulations, August 2021.
The Attending Physician will commit to a minimum of seven (7) days on the rotation at a time; longer rotations are available as desired. The Attending Physician will be available for concerns from the DLC TCU 24/7 during Weekdays. Weekend coverage will be per the DLC on-call schedule.
3. Qualifications of Attending Physician
The Attending Physician must possess the following qualifications:
i. Valid license to practice medicine in Manitoba and be in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba
ii. WRHA Medical Staff Appointment
iii. Appropriate liability/malpractice coverage (ex: Canadian Medical Protective Association)
iv. Privileges granted through Provincial Medical Administration Office
4. Duties and Responsibilities
Full duties and responsibilities of providing appropriate medical care by Attending Physicians are documented in the Policy - Transitional Care Unit: Medical Care (MHC Policy Number: 200.070.019), and Winnipeg Regional Health Authority Medical Staff Rules and Regulations, August 2021.
The Attending Physician shall:
i. Attend to patients on the unit twice per week between the hours of 0730-1700
ii. Complete an admission History & Physical within seven (7) days of admission, to be documented in the client’s Health Record
iii. Complete an Admission MedRec within 24 hours of admission – it can be completed over the phone on initial admission of the patient to the unit
iv. Urgent problems shall be dealt with by telephone on a 24/7 basis from Monday to Thursday
v. Attend disposition (bullet) interdisciplinlary rounds once per week when able to attend
vi. Medication reviews shall be completed monthly with the pharmacist and nurse
vii. Discharge MedRec and prescriptions for 30 days, including Manitoba Prescribing Practices Program (M3P), shall be provided for patients being discharged
viii. Make themselves available to speak with or meet with patients and their SDM/family when appropriate
ix. Arrange coverage for vacations or other planned absences
5. Reporting Relationship and Performance
The Attending Physician will report to the Site Medical Lead, Deer Lodge Health Group.
