Interested in becoming a Patient and Family Advisor?
What Is a Patient and Family Advisor?
A Patient and Family Advisor is someone who:
- Wants to help improve the quality of health care for all patients and family members
- Gives feedback based on his or her own experiences as a patient or family member
- Helps us plan changes to improve how we take care of patients
- Works on short-term or long-term projects
- Partners with doctors, nurses and administrators
- Volunteers his or her time (usually 1-3 hours per month)
What Do Patient and Family Advisors Do?
Patient and Family Advisors help us in a variety of ways including:
- Sharing their story. Advisors talk about their health care experiences with clinicians, staff, and other patients.
- Participating in committee meetings and discussion groups. Advisors inform us from the patient and family perspective and make suggestions for improving care.
- Reviewing or helping to create educational or informational materials such as forms, health information handouts, brochures and discharge instructions to make them easier to understand and use.
- Working on projects related to policies, programs, facility design, operations and education to improve safety, delivery of care, and patient satisfaction.
Who Can Be a Patient and Family Advisor?
Patients and family members of patients who have received care within the last two years from Central Vermont Medical Center are eligible to apply.
What Are the Qualities of a Successful Patient and Family Advisor?
- Open-minded
- Able to communicate negative experiences positively
- Maintains communication with other committee members
- Able to listen carefully
- Respectful of diversity and differing opinions
- Understands teamwork & collaboration
- Committed to CVMC’s success
- Compassionate
- Understands personal boundaries
- Flexible and patient
- Able to see system issues beyond own personal experiences
- Focuses on solutions rather than grievances
QUESTIONS? Email cvmc.pfcc@cvmc.org or call 802-371-4458