Supplied by the Sault Area Hospital…
Sault Ste. Marie, ON – Sault Area Hospital (SAH) is pleased to expand upon its existing advisory program by announcing the creation of a Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC) within the Emergency Department (ED). The ED-PFAC will contribute to the hospital’s ability to deliver the highest quality patient care by listening to the voice of the patient, addressing the patient experience and implementing positive changes and process improvements throughout the Emergency Department. By working together, better health care outcomes, wiser allocations of resources and greater patient satisfaction will be achieved.

To underscore the importance of, and commitment to, this engagement initiative, the Council will include members of the leadership team in the ED along with ten to twelve patient/family advisors. One advisor will be selected to co-chair the Council along with Jack Willet, Manager of the ED.

“The Emergency Department serves as an area of the hospital that sees the highest volumes of patients on any given day. It is the first point of contact for many of our patients and their families, so it is critical that we continually strive to improve their experience with the care they receive” says Jack Willet, Patient Care Manager. “A Patient and Family Advisory Council will provide us with a mechanism to quickly respond to patient feedback and partner with patients and families in the delivery of care”.

SAH is seeking applications from individuals interested in serving a three-year term on the Emergency Department Patient and Family Advisory Council. Candidates should have had recent interaction with Emergency Department Services (ideally within the past year) as either a patient or as a family member or loved one of a patient. We are looking for people who are willing to be open, honest and committed to providing meaningful and thoughtful input to improving the patient experience in Emergency Services at Sault Area Hospital.

To find out more about the Patient and Family Advisory Council, and/or to apply, please visit http://www.sah.on.ca/patients/patient-and-family-advisory-council or contact Laura Tenhagen at 705-759-3434, ext. 6908 or via email at Tenhagenla@sah.on.ca. Applications will be accepted until 4 p.m. on Friday, December 8th.