Function & Scope
Function:
The Patient and Family Advisory Council (hereafter known as PFAC”) provides a forum for hospital patients, family members, community members and staff to “facilitate family and patient participation in hospital care and decision making, information sharing and policy and program development.”
The PFAC proactively offers advice, information and recommendations on planning, policies and procedures. Information from this group will provide Martha’s Vineyard Hospital leadership with an enhanced understanding of how to improve quality, program development, service excellence, communications, patient safety, facility design, patient and family education, staff orientation and education and patient/family satisfaction and loyalty.
Scope:
The scope of the PFAC is inpatient and outpatient care for adult and pediatric patients at our hospital.
Goals
The Patient and Family Advisory Council will:
- Draw on the experiences of our patients and their families to strengthen our decision making.
- To provide a patient centered perspective of the services provided at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
- Offer insight and recommendations for improving unmet needs, quality, service, safety, education and patient satisfaction.
- Strengthen the relationship between Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and its patients, their families and the community.
- Reflect the unique culture of our small community hospital and reflect the socio-economic demographics of our area.
- To provide an opportunity for patients and families to actively participate in the development of new programs.
Objective
The objective of the PFAC is to support continuous quality improvement, communication and planning by:
- Helping senior leadership to identify issues and opportunities which have the potential to improve health care and service in relation to one or more of the stated goals and strategic plan;
- Recommending solutions (or refinements to existing) services, programs, policies, communications and/or business strategies that are more effective in meeting the needs of patients and families;
- Developing creative, cost-effective solutions to problems and challenges faced by the organization;
- Promoting respectful, effective partnerships between patients and their families and health care providers and administrators;
- Considering matters referred to them by the Hospital and Senior Management Team
Roles & Responsibilities
The role of the PFAC is solely consultative. Members will be expected to serve as “the voice of the customer – our patients and families.” In this role, members help to “facilitate family and patient participation in hospital care and decision-making, information sharing and policy and program development.”
At least 50% of the PFAC membership must be current or former patients or family members
Selection Criteria
Members are selected based on the following criteria:
- Able to listen to differing opinions and share different points of view;
- Is positive and supportive of the Mission of the hospital
- Able to share insights and information about their experiences in ways that others can learn from them.
- Sees beyond their personal experiences.
- Shows concern for more than one issue or agenda
- Respects diversity and the perspectives of others
- Adheres to the Operating Principles of Respect, Trust, Collaboration, Communication and Integrity
- Speaks comfortably in a group, with candor
- Interacts well with many different kinds of people
- Able to work in partnership with others
- Represents the ethnic, racial, socio-economic and geographic diversity reflective of the patient population served at the hospital
- Willingness to complete work outside of the regular meeting
