St. Mary’s PFAC is guided by national best practices and strategic frameworks from leading healthcare organizations, including the National Study of PFACs in U.S. Children’s Hospitals, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the American Hospital Association (AHA), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the Institute for Patient and Family Centered Care (IPFCC).
Strategic Objectives
The PFAC aims to:
- Establish system-wide annual goals that drive improvements in care quality, patient experience, and policies that reflect organizational and community needs.
- Strengthen family engagement by promoting learning from patient and family perspectives across all departments.
- Integrate parent and family educators into staff training programs to enhance empathy and communication.
- Develop and monitor quality measures to evaluate PFAC’s impact on healthcare delivery and outcomes.
PFAC Initiatives
St. Mary’s PFAC will focus on the following key initiatives:
- Create a PFAC Charter and Council to formalize structure and governance.
- Increase leadership and organizational engagement in PFAC activities.
- Launch a Patient/Family/Consumer Resource Directory titled Navigating Your Child’s Care: A Practical Guide and Resource Directory for Children and Young Adults with Medical Complexity and Special Healthcare Needs.
- Develop a dedicated Family/Consumer section on the St. Mary’s website to improve access to resources and support.
- Host the Annual Medically Complex Pediatric and Young Adult Conference to foster collaboration and education.
- Participate in system-wide Parent Faculty programs to amplify family voices in healthcare planning.
- Provide input on organizational processes, policies, and new initiatives to ensure they reflect patient and family needs.