Join Our Patient and Family Advisory Committee at Sharon Hospital

The Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC) of the Sharon Hospital is a group of patients, family members, caregivers and hospital staff who work together to promote high quality, safe patient care in a collaborative partnership.

The mission of the PFAC is to provide the patient and family voice, representing all families served by the institution by clearly articulating Patient and Family Centered Care principles. Patient-family-centered care is an approach to care that respects the patient's values, perspectives and concerns and acknowledges the central role the family plays in supporting the patient.

Your Role: Advisor

We are looking for people who have had at least one or more years of experience within the hospital either as a patient themselves or with a loved-one. Prospective members must be committed to building partnerships with hospital staff to better understand and address the challenges and opportunities at the hospital. The PFAC volunteer role is essential for this work.

Volunteers meet one evening per month (either virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic or in-person once it is safe to return to in-person volunteer roles within the hospital) to:

• Create avenues for communication among patients, families, caregivers and interdisciplinary teams of hospital staff.
• Advocating for family presence and participation.
• Partner with hospital staff to support initiatives that improve the delivery of patient care.
• Raise staff awareness of the need for family inclusion in the care of patients, in an effort leading to safer and more satisfactory patient outcomes.
• Participate in forums so advisors can share their personal experiences with the objective of educating hospital staff and faculty to the importance of involvement with the patient, family members, and caregivers.

Each Advisory Committee Council Member is expected to attend the meeting. Meetings occur September through June. There are also projects and committees that require an additional time commitment. Projects vary in time commitment and participation in these meetings is voluntary. There is always an interesting opportunity to contribute to.

Please contact us to learn more about this opportunity. Please note that this committee meets on the Third Tuesday of the month from noon to 1 PM.