WPSC Friday 5: Meet Our PFAC! (Patient & Family Advisory Council)

By now, you've seen our Patient and Family Advisory Council featured in numerous "PFAC Picks" Friday Five newsletters. This week, we are kicking of 2017 with a more robust introduction to the PFAC. The Patient and Family Advisory Council resides here at the Foundation for Healthcare Quality, providing the patient perspective on many WPSC's activities. The PFAC is a committed, vetted group of patient and family advocates who believe deeply in patient-centered care. With their unique experience and expertise, they partner with health care organizations such as the Foundation, providing useful perspectives that lead to higher quality care and better practices. The PFAC believes that patients and caregivers belong at the table with professionals, helping them understand how care is experienced and how it can be improved. The group mentors clinicians and organizations on ways to be patient and family-centered & also provides speakers for other educational events. Read more about a few of the PFAC members, and scroll down to view their PFAC Picks for this week. Also, the PFAC is available to assist your healthcare organization with its patient centered care challenges. You can connect with their Chair directly at Jendogger@yahoo.com.

This Week's "Friday 5":
Meet Our PFAC

Jennifer Glick, Chair

Jennifer Glick has a background in protein biochemistry. She worked in science for 15 years before the birth of her son, whose health needs prompted her to switch gears and become a patient advisor at the UWMC NICU. She was chair of that council for several years, and still serves as a member. She has won two awards for excellence in patient education at UWMC. She is a regular speaker at the NW Puget Sound Perinatal Education Consortium’s semi-annual lecture series. She is also a member of the WPSC's Communication Resolution Program Certification review board, in addition to being a member of the PFAC. When she is not engaged in any of those activities, she enjoys chasing after her two boys, cooking, and spending time outside.

Stephen E. Lovell

Mr. Lovell has over 30 years of corporate experience in a variety of industries including aviation, transportation, environmental consulting, and energy. He is retired from Alaska Airlines and has been working with and advising organizations including the Seattle Cancer Alliance and the Foundation for Health Care Quality. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master’s Degree from Texas A&M University.

Mr. Lovell was diagnosed with a myelodysplastic syndrome and underwent a successful stem cell transplant in 2010. Upon completing treatment, he has worked tirelessly to ensure the patient perspective is represented in our health care system. Mr. Lovell works cooperatively with providers and clinical staff to evaluate and identify issues and assist in arriving at solutions that ultimately serve providers, clinical staff, and patients on an equal basis.

Mr. Lovell is currently involved with the following health care-related organizations and programs:

Seattle Cancer Care Alliance: Patient Representative on the Patient Quality, Safety, and Service Committee (Board of Directors committee), Co-Chair of the Patient and Family Advisory Council, patient representative on the Falls Prevention Committee
Washington Patient Safety Coalition, Foundation for Health Care Quality (FHCQ): patient representative on the Action Planning Subcommittee and representative on the WPSC Steering Committee
Communication and Resolution Program (CRP), FHCQ: member of the CRP Certification Review Panel
Patient and Family Advisory Council, HealthPact, FHCQ: member of the Patient and Family Advisory Council
Dr. Robert Bree Collaborative, FHCQ: patient representative on the collaborative review of Prostate Cancer Screening (adopted November 2015)

Amanda Klein

Amanda has relied on her social work training, health care experience, and assertiveness to help several family members navigate the health care system over the years. In 2011, when her father’s rare neuropathy progressed from disabling to life-threatening, she became actively involved as his care manager and advocate. She saw him through multiple hospitalizations, home care, and rehab stints before becoming one of his daily caregivers for his final months in home hospice.

Amanda has been a member of the PFAC since June 2014. She also helped create and pilot test a training curriculum for volunteer health advocates.

Yanling Yu, PhD

Washington Advocates for Patient Safety, Consumers Union Safe
Patient Project Network
http://www.washingtonadvocatesforpatientsafety.org

Yanling learned about patient safety the hard way, after her father was killed by the misuse of an off-label medication. The drug was contraindicative for his medical conditions and caused fatal adverse reactions. To protect others from medical harm and to promote patient rights as well as healthcare accountability and transparency, Yanling and her husband Rex Johnson worked to pass a medical board transparency bill passed in Washington State in 2011. A year later, they co-founded a nonprofit organization, Washington Advocates for Patient Safety to help improve quality of care and patient safety. Currently, Yanling is serving as a public member on Washington State medical board; is a member of Washington State Hospital Acquired Infection Advisory Committee; a member of the Patient Safety Standing Committee of National Quality Forum; a consumer representative on FDA Pulmonary-Allergy Drugs Advisory Committee; a member of the national advisory committee for Train-the-Trainer (T3) Interprofessional Faculty Development Program (FDP) at University of Washington; and faculty for T3 training and for national TeamSTEPPS training at University of Washington.

Rex Johnson, MSEE (WA)

Washington Advocates for Patient Safety, TeamSTEPPS Faculty, National Center
for Health Research associate, University of Washington (UW) Community and
Patient Advisory Team (CPAT), UW School of Nursing student advisory panel

Rex's father-in-law was killed by a preventable medication error. Rex and his wife Yanling went through the typical channels to file a complaint, but felt neglected and unheard in the responses they received. As a result of the actions within their medical event and the lack of helpful, transparent communication after the event, Rex and his wife Yanling have become a patient safety activists.

Rex co-authored a bill that has become law in Washington State to improve the transparency of the state medical agencies. Rex and Yanling are also founders and board members of Washington Advocates for Patient Safety (an organization to promote patient safety).They both now work closely with the University of Washington’s School of Nursing to train medical students on patient centered care as well as their Community and Patient Advisory Team (CPAT). Rex is a member of the national advisory committee for Train-the-Trainer (T3) Inter-professional Faculty Development Programs. He is also an instructor for the AHRQ TeamSTEPPS Program, and he continues to work with legislators to promote other legislation which would protect the public from medical irresponsibility. Recently, Rex was invited to be an oversight advisor on the new Communications and Resolution Program (CRP) housed here in the WPSC.

2017 Kickoff: PFAC Picks Friday Five

Patient centered end of life care- an issue crossing political divisions: Read Article.
Healthcare professionals share their New Years resolutions on patient centered care: Read Interview.
Two healthcare providers share a conversation on their roles as caretakers, turned patients: Read Interview.
Delivering a solid patient experience in a world of growing healthcare consumerism. Read Article.
Increased use of Health IT to bridge the gap between patients and providers. Read Article.

UPCOMING WEBINAR

Celebrating 2016 & Looking Forward to 2017

This year has been filled with new activities and exciting developments in the work of the WPSC and its committed members! Join us January 25th from 12 - 1PM as our Program Director, Kelly Veit, MHA details the work of the WPSC in 2016, and what to expect in 2017. We’ll be picking up where our 2015 Year in Review left off; detailing the progress on our new strategic plan, and programmatic goals. Learn more about new and ongoing participation benefits to your WPSC membership, as well as growing opportunities to share your important work with a broad network of fellow patient safety professionals and leaders. We’ll also be giving you a teaser on what to expect at our 15^th Annual Northwest Patient Safety Conference, coming up on May 11th, 2017. This webinar is open and free to ALL! Register now.