Our Patient and Family Advisory Committee (PFAC)
What is the total number members on the staff Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC) Steering Committee?
6 Staff Members:
Loretta Fitzgerald, Employee Health, Infection Prevention & Safety OfficerRachel Gross, Family Practice Associates Clinic ManagerDiane Newth, APRN, Family Practice Associates ProviderCarrie Saia, CEODawna Smith, Pharmacy NurseCody Utz, Director of Quality, Patient Care Services and RadiologyWhat is the total number of Patient and Family Advisors (PFAs)?
5 Members:Jeri AlbrightMelvin AskrenKristel BontragerTracy KlinginsmithKaren WellieverWho is the PFAC Co-Chair for the Organization side?
Cody UtzProject Work Accomplishments 2016
Breast Cancer Awareness Brochure - One of the first projects this group was tasked with was reviewing and suggesting enhancements/changes to a rough draft of a Breast Cancer Awareness Brochure originating from the Radiology Department. Based on PFA input a male breast cancer myth/fact was added, removed wording about same day results, added wording to clarify that Digital Mammography services are offered at Holton Community Hospital and included a picture of the staff mammographers.Physical Therapy Direct Access - PFAs learned about Direct Access or self-referring for Physical Therapy services. Through this education, PFAs guided the Rehab Director to promote this new availability through patient education of current patients that enter the facility: verbal education to patients in the Rehab Department and posting signage at key locations in the Family Practice Clinics and/or Outpatient specialty Clinic. A PFA suggested a website that may have promotional materials of interest/value.
Home Buddy Medical Alert System - At the August meeting, a PFA inquired if the facility offered a medical alert system. Recently, a friend of the PFA had laid outside overnight after falling in their yard. In October, representatives from the Holton Community Hospital Home Health Department presented a program for the PFAs about a relatively new offering of the Home Buddy Medical Alert System available through the Home Health Department. It is a medical alert system that works anywhere cell tower reception is available. The PFAs provided feedback to encourage marketing of the service in the clinics and at the Senior Citizen Center. As a result of this project work, 1 PFA signed up for the service and the staff presented Home Buddy at the Senior Citizen Center in Holton where several others took advantage of the service.
FPA & HCH Phone Message - PFAs listened to the current automated phone message and prompts for the Family Practice Clinic and Hospital. PFAs all had experience calling in and listening to the message previously as well. The majority would prefer to have a live person answer the phone. Recommendations for improvement included: slowing down the message on the hospital side and to move up the nurse option to #2 on the clinic message. Administration has requested Season Brown in Registration do a voice over for the hospital side telephone answering message.
Patient Portal - Tammy Elliott, Clinical IT & Nursing, demonstrated the new patient portal for the PFAs. PFAs reviewed the patient handout introducing the portal and offered that it appeared conclusive. PFAs worked through the question: How would you react to being asked your email during the hospital registration process? PFAs helped work through different scenarios including patients that do not have email, spouses, children, etc. PFAs shared that their consensus, from a patient perspective, to be that they would be fine with giving their email address.
Quality Board - In December, PFAs viewed the new Quality Board in the main hospital near registration. Feedback from a patient perspective included that the board is too busy, contains too much information. A PFA pointed out that they did not know what the acronym HCAHPS stood for. Based on the patient perspective less information will now be displayed on the board and acronyms will be spelled out for clarity.