St. Louis Children’s Hospital recently celebrated a remarkable milestone: the 25th anniversary of our Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC). As one of the longest-standing pediatric PFACs in the nation, the St. Louis Children’s council has spent a quarter century ensuring that families are not just heard but are true partners in shaping the care we provide.
The PFAC is an inclusive group comprised of family members whose children have received services at the hospital, hospital staff, hospital senior leadership, and physician representatives. Their mission is to create a safe and productive environment of partnership where family partners work directly with hospital partners to ensure that care is centered on the patient and the family and is being provided throughout St. Louis Children’s.
“We are very proud to be the only pediatric and the longest-standing PFAC within BJC HealthCare, as well as a leader nationally,” says Jill Mechler, CPXP, senior manager of Patient and Family Experience. “The team is doing best-practice work to ensure that the voices of patients and families are at the table to help guide decisions for our organization.”
Events such as the monthly caregiver connection, yoga in the garden, and the Caregiver Cart program are examples of the PFAC initiatives. The council has also impacted safety initiatives while shaping clinical research, signage, family education tools, and technology implementations.
“Celebrating 25 years of our PFAC is such a meaningful milestone,” says Emily Revelle, lead family partner. “It reflects the deep commitment St. Louis Children’s has, not only to practicing patient and family centered care, but also to truly listening to what our families have to say. The council gives purpose to the experiences of medical families and provides a way to make real, lasting impact for those coming behind us.”
For more information, email [email protected] or fill out our online application form.
