Patient & Family Advisory Council
Advisory council membership
St. Francis Medical Center’s Patient and Family Advisory Council is comprised of patients who have received care at the medical center within the past three years or is a family member of such an individual. Members offer insights and input to help us provide care and services that are based on patient- and family-identified needs rather than the assumptions of team members. They help to identify what the medical center is doing well and areas that need improvement. Advisors help us move beyond the “what is wrong” stage to developing effective solutions.
Roles and responsibilities of advisory council members
Council Coordinator
St. Francis Medical Center’s Patient Advocacy Coordinator also serves as the Liaison to the Patient and Family Advisory Council. She is responsible for overseeing and working with advisors. In addition, she supports the council and its members and helps ensure that council activities are meaningfully integrated into changes and improvements within the hospital. She also serves as the contact for other team members seeking to be included on the council’s agenda. She attends council meetings, facilitates interactions, and reports feedback to medical center’s management.
Patient and family members
Patient and family council members attend meetings and actively participate by sharing their perspectives, ideas, and feedback. They are expected to complete orientation, sign privacy agreements and other requirements as indicated by the medical center. Team members of St. Francis Medical Center attend council meetings depending on meeting topics of discussion and make time to implement Council initiatives.
Time commitments
The Patient and Family Advisory Council meets every other month. Meetings typically are an hour and a half to two hours long. Time commitments outside of meetings may vary based on the committee's projects. Patient and family advisory council members serve 2-year terms, although membership may continue longer on a case-by-case basis.
Requirements for Membership on the Patient and Family Advisory Council
To be eligible to serve on the Patient and Family Advisory Council one must:
- Have been a patient or a family member of a patient at St. Francis Medical Center within the past three years.
- Have the ability to share insight about experience in a way in which others can learn.
- Exhibit values consistent with those of St. Francis Medical Center and the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System.
- Demonstrate suitable interpersonal skills.
- Speak honestly and comfortably.
- Be able to share a story in a meaningful way.
In addition, council members should:
- Be able to see beyond personal experience.
- Show concern for more than one issue or agenda.
- Possess good listening skills.
- Respect others.
- Be comfortable in a group.
- Interact well with many different types of people.
- Be able to work in partnership.
- Want to truly make a difference.