Patient & Family Advisory Council
About the Patient and Family Advisory Council
At Lahey Clinic, the Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC) partners with patients and families to improve care and the patient experience. The PFAC is comprised of hospital volunteers, patients, family members and hospital staff.
We serve as a voice for the patient and provide valuable insight about care practices from patient and family perspectives to help improve quality, safety and patient health outcomes. By collaborating with hospital staff and clinicians, PFAC membership works diligently toward the goal of excellence in family and patient centered care.
Key Responsibilities of the PFAC
- Share health care experiences with hospital staff and other PFAC members
- Participate in group discussions to provide input on process and policy changes
- Provide insight from patient and family perspectives regarding patient education materials
- Identify patient and family needs and concerns
- Serve on subcommittees to help bring the voice of the patient to hospital policies and care practices
- Provide recommendations to improve quality, safety and service
Hospital Committee Work
PFAC members also have the opportunity to participate in various hospital committees, including:
- Board of Directors Quality of Care Trustee Committee
- Diabetes Education Committee
- Discharge
- Nursing Orientation and Skill Development Training
- Patient Education Task Force
- Patient Experience Interdisciplinary Committee
- Patient Safety Rounds
- Quality and Safety
- Research
- Surgical Resident Training
Customer Service at Lahey
Our Customer Service team is committed to ensuring you have the support and resources you need to have a safe, comfortable stay. We are here to assist you in resolving any challenges that may occur while you’re at Lahey.
More About the PFAC
The Patient and Family Advisory Council plays a central role in supporting the broader Lahey mission of delivering exceptional, compassionate care to our patients. Our mission is:
- To bring the patient and family perspective and voice to help Lahey establish and maintain a facility centered on the well-being of our patients.
- To enable our administrators, staff, faculty and interns to fully understand the various concerns regarding treatment and interaction with the patients and their families.
- To aid our patients/families in developing a better understanding as to how Lahey administrators, staff, faculty and interns are responding to suggestions on improving the patient/hospital experience.
- To help improve the quality of service we offer to our community.
- To ensure there is always an open path of communications between the patients/families and our administrators, staff, faculty and interns.
- To bring the best level of treatment and service based on available technology and to constantly strive to incorporate new treatments as soon as possible.
- To assist everyone in remembering that every person associated with Lahey is a professional, and they always have the best interest of the individual in mind.
- To foster a feeling of trust and respect for everyone visiting, being treated and working at Lahey.
Recent achievements and initiatives by the Patient and Family Council include:
- Helped provide input on new Emergency Department and General Internal Medicine spaces
- Participated in hospital leadership interviews, including of CEO and Department Heads
- Participated in Beth Israel Lahey Health (BILH) Quality of Care/Crisis Standard of Care Forum
- Provided input to the MA Hospital Association Post Acute Care Guide/Brochure
- Provided patient support, hospital re-entry planning and testing kit assembly during COVID-19 pandemic
Download our annual reports to learn about the past activities of our Patient and Family Advisory Councils.
Membership Expectations
There are many qualities that make a good patient and family advisor, including:
- Interest in improving health care and the patient experience
- Willingness to share personal experiences to help improve patient care and services
- Desire to help patients and families become informed advocates for their own care
- Willingness and desire to work and learn from colleagues and other patients/family members
- Ability to keep an open mind, listen to others, think critically, ask tough questions constructively and see the “big picture” and not just a single issue
If you or a loved one has received care at Lahey and are interested in providing your unique perspective, we invite you to apply to be a patient and family advisor. Your experience and feedback are important and will help us to improve the care we provide to all patients. The PFAC meets for two hours in the evening on the first Tuesday of each month. No meetings are held in January or July.
The Patient and Family Advisory Council is comprised of 8-12 patient/family members, Lahey staff, one patient co-chair, one staff co-chair and executive sponsors from the hospital’s senior leadership.
Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC) Application
Thank you for your interest! We look forward to getting to know you. PFAC meets on the first Tuesday of the month from 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm (alternating months). While this is subject to change, please ensure that you are able to make this commitment.
After you complete this application, expect a call from our patient co-chair within two weeks discussing next steps. These may include an interview, a volunteer application, and proof of immunizations.
