Patient and Family Advisory Council

Who We Are

We are a partnership among families, patients and caregivers to promote patient- and family-centered care. We believe that patients and families are experts in their lives and bring unique strengths to the healing process.

What We Do

Our purpose is to enhance the patient and family experience by:

striving to provide compassionate and flawless care that supports the patients’ bodies, minds and spirits
assuring access to reliable information to support wise decisions
encouraging patients to take part in their care and treatment options
participating in key committees throughout the organization

How We Do It

The Patient and Family Advisory Council meets monthly. During the two-hour meeting, activities may include:

addressing concerns voiced from patients, families or staff
providing input about programs, services, or facilities
receiving updates on policy development

In addition to monthly meetings, council members are encouraged to be actively involved at Columbia St. Mary’s in other ways. Additional activities may include:

serving on other hospital-based committees to provide a patient and family point of view
reviewing patient education materials such as the discharge medication list and patient handbook
recounting a health care experience to new employees or physicians
writing patient- and family-centered articles for the hospital newsletter

How to Become Involved

The Patient and Family Advisory Council seeks members who are interested in creating positive change. New members are welcomed in September through October and voted onto the council in November. Terms for new members begin in January.

For more information about the council or to request an application for membership, please call (414) 270-4919 or e-mail ssudemir@columbia-stmarys.org. The Patient and Family Advisory Council of Columbia St. Mary's draws on specific experiences of patients, families, and health care teams to influence and enhance the quality and culture of care. The council reinforces our belief that patients and families have a unique expertise and knowledge that is essential to improving services, while also recognizing that patient and family satisfaction impacts positively on treatment outcomes.

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