Patient Family Advisory Council
The Patient Family Advisory Council works with members of the hospital staff to provide valuable feedback and personal insights on the patient care experience.
TCHS has established a Patient Family Advisory Council. We are looking for individuals that would like to invest in the community and are interested in providing insight into different aspects of the health care continuum.
The Patient Family Advisory Council works with members of the hospital staff to provide valuable feedback and personal insights on the patient care experience.
Join the Patient Family Advisory Council Team!
(L to R) Shari Fischer, Connie Lichty, Deb Miller, Jerry Catlett, Jeff Friesen, Connie O’Hanlon
Do you have ideas to help improve our organization? Become a patient family advisor.
We would like to invite you to find out more about becoming a patient family advisor at Thayer County Health Services. We think you may have great ideas about how we can improve the health care experience for patients and families. We hope you are interested in learning more about serving as a patient and family advisor.
Patient family advisors help us by:
- Sharing stories about their hospital experience in training sessions for nurses, providers, and other hospital staff.
- Helping to create materials and plans for improving health care quality and safety for all patients.
- Providing input on how to improve our policies and care practices.
- Giving feedback about their hospital stay.
- Letting us know what went well and what we can do better.
We are grateful to the patients and families who become advisors. Join us!
What skills do advisors need? Advisors need to:
- Listen and share their opinions respectfully
- Think about ways to improve health care
- Work well with others
You do not need any special qualifications to be an advisor. We will provide you with any training that you need.
Why is Thayer County Health Services forming a Patient Family Advisory Council?
The benefits of working with patient family advisors
Bringing the perspectives of patients and families directly into the planning, delivery, and evaluation of care is a critical part of improving safety and quality.
Patient family advisors:
- Offer insights that illustrate what we do well and highlight where changes may be needed
- Help us develop priorities and make improvements based on patient- and family-identified needs rather than on our own professional assumptions
- Bring a fresh perspective and help us come up with solutions that clinicians and staff have not yet thought about
Patient family advisors are critical allies for quality and safety. Working with advisors helps build a shared agreement around safety and quality priorities. This shared agreement fosters partnerships in care, enhances the care experience, and improves outcomes.
Working with advisors is part of patient- and family-centered care
Patient- and family-centered care emphasizes collaboration with patients and families at all levels. The core concepts of patient- and family-centered care are:
- Dignity and respect. Health care practitioners listen to and honor patient and family perspectives and choices. Patient and family knowledge, values, beliefs, and cultural backgrounds are incorporated into the planning and delivery of care.
- Participation. Patients and families are encouraged and supported to participate in care and decision making at the level they choose.
- Information sharing. Patients and families receive timely, complete, and accurate information to effectively participate in care and decision making. Clinicians and hospital staff communicate and share complete and unbiased information with patients and families in ways that are affirming and useful.
- Collaboration. Patients, families, clinicians, hospital staff, and health care leaders collaborate in policy and program development, implementation and evaluation, facility design, professional education, and the delivery of care.
For more information on becoming an advisor, please contact:
Stephanie Moody, RN
Quality Improvement Coordinator
(402) 768-4629 smoody@tchsne.org
Fill out the form below to apply to be a Patient Family Advisor!
Patient Family Advisor Application Form
Patient Family Advisory Council Application