Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) celebrated 14 successful years of Patient and Family Centred Care (PFCC) with the return of the annual Sharing and Caring Together Exhibition on Friday, October 27.

PFCC is the provision of care that is respectful of, and responsive to, individual patient and family preferences, needs and values, and ensures that the patient is at the centre of everything.

“PFCC is a journey, and we continuously identify and implement new ways to improve patient experiences,” said Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott, President and CEO of TBRHSC and CEO of Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute. “The Sharing and Caring Together Exhibition is an ideal opportunity for us to reflect on the many benefits of PFCC and to celebrate some of our recent patient-centred initiatives.”

Some of the recent successes that were highlighted at the Sharing and Caring Together Exhibition include:

• The Paediatric MRI machine that uses cinema goggles, a tool that helps support children while undergoing an MRI.
• A new Eat, Sleep, Console initiative which offers a more family centred approach to the evaluation and treatment for infants born to parents who struggle with substance use.
• How the introduction of personal support workers have improved Patient and Family Centred Care on the surgical floor.

“PFCC is not something that just happens. It’s about making an intentional commitment to working in collaborative partnerships with patients and families,” said Dr. Crocker Ellacott. “These successes would not be possible if it weren’t for the dedication of our talented staff, physicians, nurses, clinicians, volunteers, and learners. They have helped to shape a corporate culture that is grounded in PFCC and continues to grow and improve with each passing year.”

The Patient and Family Advisor (PFA) Council is key to helping TBRHSC achieve its goals. The Council consists of nearly 80 diverse and dedicated volunteers, who, based on their own past experiences, participate on interview panels for leadership positions, attend each council meeting, review policies, and provide input to guide new initiatives and revise existing ones.

“PFAs are involved in every area of the Hospital and do their best to represent the needs of all the patients in Thunder Bay and across Northwestern Ontario”, said Paul Carr, Co-Chair of the Patient Family Advisor Council. “The Sharing and Caring Together Exhibition is a great way for us to acknowledge all staff, health care professionals and volunteers who have embraced the philosophy of PFCC which in turn helps us to provide exceptional care to every patient, every time.”

To learn more about Patient and Family Centred Care, or how to become a PFA, please visit www.tbrhsc.net or contact TBRHSC.PFCC@tbh.net.