Patient and Family Advisory Council
Why do we exist?
Frye Regional Medical Center is committed to taking into account the unique perspectives of our patients and their families to deliver exceptional care and make our communities healthier. To create a forum for patient and family voices to be intentionally heard, our Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC) was formed in 2018 and has been fully active in informing and improving the patient experience. Some PFAC members have had exceptional experiences with the health system while others, transparently, have not. However, every member is dedicated to learning from all the experiences to help improve care and services in meaningful ways that make a direct and positive impact on patient outcomes.
Who are we?
The PFAC is a diverse volunteer team of community members, current and former patients, family representatives, physicians and hospital leaders who are passionate about ensuring every patient receives the high quality, compassionate care that is promised and deserved by every individual treated at Frye Regional Medical Center. All PFAC members live, work and play in this community, and want all our patients and their families to experience the best care and services the health system has to offer.
What do we do to make a positive impact for patients and their family members?
- We meet quarterly to share our insights. We speak openly and constructively to make certain the patient and family voice is considered.
- We participate actively in special projects as the hospital team welcomes our unique perspective.
- We measure and share our success. When the PFAC makes a positive impact, the community wins.
- We advocate for Frye Regional Medical Center. We recognize health care is complicated and challenging, and we support the hospital team and their continuous efforts to improve.
How have our voices been heard?
- We proposed improvements to the communication boards in patient rooms to make them more efficient for staff and more meaningful to patients and families.
- We provided input to reduce the volume of paperwork sent home at discharge to include vital information that is available “at a glance.”
- We offered feedback on the quality of patient linens, which led to improvement.
- We suggested ways to allow for patient and family communication during the pandemic when visitation was restricted, which lead to the use of tools like FaceTime to remain connected.
- Our recommendations for improved patient/family education led to health education channels on the televisions in patient rooms.
To learn more about the PFAC, call 828.315.3835.
