Patient and Family Advisory Council

The patient and family perspective has never been more important or influential in health care than it is today.  It is only when we see health care through the eyes of patients and their families that we can truly improve their experience.  Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare (MAHC) is building on the philosophy of centering care around patients and their families by engaging Patient Experience Partners to participate and collaborate with us as volunteer partners in planning services and systems to shape and improve the patient experience.

Patient Experience Partners

Patient Experience Partners (PEPs) share their own ideas and points of view to ensure the voices of patients and families are heard, considered and included at various points across the organization to improve programs and processes, the design of the care environment, and delivery of patient care at an organizational level.  PEPs can participate in ways that best match their interests, experience and availability.  The time required of a PEP will vary depending on the level of involvement desired. 

At MAHC, some of the ways PEPs contribute are:

• as participants on key standing committees
• by participating in focus groups
• by helping develop patient- and family-oriented education material and garnering patient feedback
• participating in hiring interviews for staff
• as an active member of the Patient and Family Advisory Council (for a term of three years) that meets regularly on initiatives that directly affect patient care
• conducting monthly patient rounding

Become a Patient Experience Partner

Patient Experience Partners are individuals who have received care at MAHC or another hospital in the last three years, or a family member of someone who has received care at MAHC or another hospital in the last three years.  Ideal qualities of a PEP include:

• Passion for enriching the health care experience for patients and families
• Sharing ideas and information about experiences at MAHC in ways that others can learn from them to help advance programs, services and hospital priorities
• Listening well
• Speaking comfortably in a group with candor
• Respecting the perspectives of others
• Interacting well with people and working in partnership with others
• Seeing beyond one's own personal experiences
• Showing concern for more than one issue or agenda
• Embodying MAHC's values and behaviours, and promote the mission and values of MAHC through positive interactions with staff, physicians, volunteers and our communities

If you are interested in helping to shape and improve the patient experience, consider becoming a Patient Experience Partner at MAHC.  Please submit an application form.  For more information about this role, email Shannon Zedic or call 705-645-4404 ext. 3104.

Meet Our Patient Experience Partners