Patient and Family Advisory Board  

Accomplishments

Advance Directives

In early 2009, the PFAB recognized a gap in the understanding and consistency of delivery of advance directives to patients and their families (note this is the same issue of compassion and cost being discussed within the national healthcare debate). They revised the current Advance Directive into a more user friendly document, free of confusing medical and legal terminology.

This resulted in a table-top flipcard and bi-lingual format, easily communicated to patients and their families in a compassionate and consistent manner. The hospital is now using these directives. Download the Advance Health Care Directive here.

Care Partners

Research studies as well as the experiences of PFAB members provide evidence that the healing process is improved when a family member or friend is closely involved with the patient’s hospital stay. This led the hospital administration to enlist PFAB support to establish Care Partners, a program that formalizes this common sense approach to enable free parking, cafeteria privileges, recognition of the partner as the family spokesperson, and most importantly, full support of the emotional, physical and spiritual support a care partner gives to their loved one. No longer does a family member have to ask for special access – the hospital offers it. 

Patient Family Advisor

The patient-family perspective is not only sought after in committee and hospital administrative venues; it is also brought directly to patients through the team of unit-based patient family advisors. Assigned to each unit of the hospital (Oncology, ED, Cardiac, etc.) these advisors make weekly rounds to patients to discuss their experience and accurately represent their perspective to hospital staff and in the monthly PFAB meetings, as well as promote the Care Partner program. Both advisors and patients report a personal and heartwarming experience. 

All Hands Stop Here

Responding to the call or greater awareness of patient safety, the PFAB initiated the placement of hand hygiene stations at the main entrances. 

Standardization of White Boards

In-room White boards in patient rooms are often a source of very important information for both the patient and visitors, but they were not being consistently used. The PFAB responded by designing and producing standard, attractive and colorful boards with very clear spaces for the nurse’s name, day of week, goal, pain level, and other useful information. Designed by the marketing department, they are now used throughout the hospital. 

RN ID Badges

Sometimes it’s hard to know who’s who among all the persons present in in a hospital corridor, so the PFAB responded by recommending RN ID badges. These badges that are readable from a few feet distance with a clear identification of the type and location assignment of the nurse, thus facilitating easier contract with the caregivers of loved ones. 

Vetting of various process improvement initiatives

The PFAB serves as the ‘go-to’ committee for obtaining feedback on any initiative involving patients and their familes, and have provided quick turnaround and feedback that was incorporated on a variety of ideas including: - patient or family activated emergency response (Met response) - patient guides to hospital services - cafeteria menu and practices - parking and other signage throughout the hospital - formulating new vsitor policies - parking renovations, handicap access, etc. - participate in new employee orientation sessions - participate in the interview panel for new clinical leadership positions - and others 

Serving on Committees

The PFAB served or is serving on the following standing and ad hoc hospital committees/task forces: 

• Infection Control 
• Patient Safety 
• Menu and Food Services 
• Workplace Safety 
• Patient Satisfaction 
• Emergency Department Design Work Group 
• Case Management Redesign Work group 
• Patient Flow Work Group 
• Quality Council 
• Signage/Parking 
• Values Recognition / Bright Ideas 
• Conn. Hospital Association Subcommittee on Quality Performance Reporting 
• Geriatric Task Force