Patient and Family Advisory Council Improves Safety, Quality and the Patient Experience

Working Together to Serve Our Communities Better at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset

At Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) Somerset, we are committed to listening to the voices of our patients and their family members and acting on their feedback to improve the patient experience. If you have been a patient or a family member of a patient who has been treated here, we invite you to join our Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC).

Our PFAC is composed of a group of current and former patients, families and hospital staff who work together to improve the patient experience and quality of care.

The PFAC Mission

The PFAC is dedicated to strengthening collaboration between patients and family members and the health care team to enhance RWJUH's ability to deliver the highest standard of safe, comprehensive and compassionate care.

What Does a PFAC Do?

The PFAC helps to improve programs, services and policies within the organization and promote a culture of patient- and family-centered care. Our PFAC helps us learn from patients' diverse perspectives and firsthand experiences and integrate their ideas into service delivery and quality improvement efforts. PFAC members work closely with our Patient Experience Team, connecting the patients and families with medical staff, clinicians and administrators as partners to improve care delivery.

Meet Our Advisory Council Members

Accomplishments

PFACs are a proven approach for health care organizations to form a partnership that improves patient and family experiences. Some of the ways our PFAC has made a difference at RWJUH include:

• Participated in the mock patient room design for the new orthopedic pavilion

• Provided input for the new palliative care brochure

• Reviewed the sepsis brochure

• Served as Schwartz Center rounds panelists — Rounds are forums where clinical and non-clinical staff discuss the challenging social and emotional issues that arise in working in health care

• Visited patients to learn about the patient experience and provided feedback to leadership (pre-COVID)

• Collaborated on the Badge Buddies program, which is a program that added a reminder to all on employees how ways to effectively communicate with patients, families and each other

• Serve on the Patient Education committee

• Serve on the Somerset Quality Committee

• Serve as representation on the electronic medical records system

For more about how PFACs have been making quality improvements across the RWJBarnabas Health system, visit our Accomplishments page.

If you have questions or would like to join the PFAC, please call (908) 685-2430.