The purpose of the Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC) is to act as an advisory resource to FirstHealth staff, administration and board. The PFAC membership includes patients, or family members of patients, who have been hospitalized at a FirstHealth hospital at some point over the last three years. Council members work as partners with FirstHealth physicians and employees to share information and work toward the common goal of an exceptional experience for every patient. Council representation comes from Moore, Montgomery, Richmond and Hoke counties.
A limited number of physicians and hospital staff are also members of the Advisory Council. Advisers were chosen for their personal experience with care and familiarity with the services provided at FirstHealth.
Patient and family advisers must participate in an orientation to receive training about patient confidentiality and HIPAA regulations, council organization and adviser roles and responsibilities. The Council meets monthly, and members serve for two years.
Council accomplishments include:
- Instrumental in implementing emergency department signage changes and physical improvements to waiting areas.
- Joined medical personnel to evaluate the discharge process and provide feedback that resulted in major changes to improve the discharge process.
- Participated in a committee comprised of medical and administrative staff, legal counsel and community representatives to create, publicize and implement a new, community-wide policy for managing medication abuse in the emergency department.
- Worked with hospital staff to improve care and interactions with patients with dementia.; This was accomplished through training, modifications to the admissions database and initiation of gray wristbands to identify patients with dementia.
- Membership on a larger committee that implemented new policies to allow greater flexibility regarding the visitation of hospitalized patients.
If you are interested in learning more about FirstHealth’s Patient and Family Advisory Council, please call (910) 715-3487.
