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Patient and Family Advisory Council

We at ECHN are committed to developing partnerships between our providers, patients and families and we are looking for individuals to volunteer on our Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC) to share their insights and ideas to improve the experience of patients and their family members in our hospital. This collaboration is necessary for the delivery of safe and effective care. Patient- and family-centered care includes:

Dignity and Respect: For patients’ values, preferences, and needs.
Information Sharing: Healthcare practitioners communicate and share timely, complete, and accurate information with patients and families in order to effectively participate in care and decision making.
Participation: Patients and families are encouraged to participate in care and decision-making.
Collaboration: Patients, families, healthcare practitioners, and healthcare leaders collaborate in policy and program development, implementation and evaluation, as well as in the delivery of care.

What is a Patient and Family Advisory Council?

Patient and Family Advisory Councils (PFACs) are one of the ways we partner with patients, family members, and caregivers. It is a productive way for patients and families to partner with ECHN to provide guidance on how to improve the patient and family experience. PFAC members consist of volunteer patients and families who collaborate with employees (clinical and administrative) at monthly meetings, to work on a variety of hospital and patient- and family-centered care initiatives.

What Does an Advisor Do?

Patients and their families are often the most knowledgeable members of the care team, and can offer unique perspectives and valuable feedback about the care they receive. A volunteer patient advisor is someone who helps improve the quality of the healthcare experience for patients and family members and enjoys working with others and contributing their ideas, and be respectful of different perspectives.

During a PFAC meeting, a patient and family advisor might do the following:

Share their healthcare experience with doctors, staff and other advisors.
Participate in discussion groups. Advisors tell us what it is like to be a patient or family member of a patient and how we can improve the care, quality, safety, and service that we provide.
Provide input from the patient and family perspective about hospital policies, care practices, and patient education materials.
Identify patient and family needs and concerns.

Advisory Council Goals

To promote patient-and family-centered care principles.
To identify and establish priorities related to policy, programs and practices that support patients and families.
To assist in developing strategies to strengthen communication and improve collaboration between healthcare providers and patients and families.
To offer input in planning new facilities and facility renovations.
To improve the patient and family experience.
To serve as a link between the community and the hospital.
To share information from the patient-family perspective on care and service.
To collaborate with hospital leaders and staff on issues that may impact the safety of patients-families.

Joining our Advisory Council

An ideal candidate is a patient or family member who will collaborate with members of the ECHN healthcare team, as part of the PFAC to improve the patient and family experience. The Patient and Family Advisor will actively collaborate with ECHN healthcare professionals in order to incorporate the patient and/or family perspective by offering advice, guidance, and direction of the PFAC.

Qualifications:

Must be 18 years of age or older, be a patient or family member who has received care in the outpatient or inpatient setting of ECHN.
Be able to provide insight and constructive feedback with the goal of improving the quality of care provided by ECHN.
Able to work in a team, have a positive approach, and see different points of view.
Ability to share both positive and negative experiences in a constructive manner.
Have good listening skills.
Have a willingness to communicate and work with patients, families, council members and hospital employees whose backgrounds, experiences and styles may be different from their own.

Patient and Family Advisor Responsibilities:

To serve as an advisory resource to administration, providers and multidisciplinary staff.
To serve as a vital link between ECHN and the community it serves.
Maintain patient confidentiality and sign confidentiality agreement.
Prepare for and attend monthly meetings.
Be an active participant at council meetings.
Notify PFAC Chair or Co-chair if unable to attend meeting.
Commit to a one-year term.

Join Us!

All interested candidates are required to submit an application to our Advisory Council for consideration.

Please submit completed applications to the PFAC team at pfac@echn.org.

Download Application