Family Advisory Council at Children’s & Women’s Hospital seeking new members
Advisory councils such as the one at Children’s & Women’s Hospital promote effective and respectful partnerships among patients, families, and clinical staff members, while increasing understanding and cooperation among those groups.
By Casandra Andrews
candrews@health.southalabama.edu
With a goal of creating better patient and family experiences, USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital is seeking new members to expand its Family Advisory Council.
The group, which meets monthly, was established in recent years to more fully understand the needs of patients, families and caregivers who spend time at the region’s only hospital for children and women, as well as to streamline communication between parents and hospital leadership, among other goals.
“We want to give patients and their caregivers a voice as we strive for a more family-centered care environment,” said Rachel Stanley, RN, a nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit and the parent of a child with long-term healthcare needs, who serves on the council. “We are looking for families who have children or a child with complex health issues who either frequently visit our hospital or see multiple disciplines within the health system.”
Advisory councils such as the one at Children’s & Women’s Hospital promote effective and respectful partnerships among patients, families, and clinical staff members, while increasing understanding and cooperation among those groups.
“We understand that effective communication can sometimes be a challenge during a hospital stay, when parents are extremely worried about their child,” said Debbie Browning, M.S.N., RN, CENP, interim administrator and chief nursing officer. “We are continuously working to improve quality, patient safety, and patient health outcomes. Active engagement with our Family Advisory Council is one of the ways we can accomplish those goals.”
Those interested in joining the council can contact Kim Wagner, who leads the Mapp Child & Family Life Program at the hospital, by emailing kwagner@health.southalabama.edu. The application process includes an interview and background check, Wagner said. Family members are asked why they want to be part of the team and how they can contribute. Wagner notes that it’s OK if someone had challenges they want to discuss: “All feedback is useful — and even needed — for true improvement to occur.”
