Patient Family Advisory Council

Patient Family Advisory Council (PFAC) at Valley

The Patient Family Advisory Council (PFAC) partners with Valley staff and leadership to elevate the voices of patients, families, and community members, helping shape patient- and family-centered care, strengthen trust and engagement with the community, and improve the healthcare experience for the people we serve.

The Council is comprised of three Valley Co-chairs who represent quality/patient experience, inpatient clinical, and outpatient clinical care, key support stakeholders, and up to 10 community members who meet the following:

• Members must be 18+ years old and have been a patient, family member, or support person of a patient cared for at Valley
• The Council should be representative of the vibrant community we care for (Valley’s community demographics, pages 13-17)
• Council members are expected to:
  • Be curious and engaged
  • Participate in a respectful and constructive manner
  • Respect privacy and confidentiality
  • Support an environment where all voices are welcome

Scope of Council Activities

Council members share input from their lived experiences as a patient or family member at Valley to advance improvement initiatives, creating positive change that improves quality and patient experience. The Council may:

• Provide feedback and recommendations on patient- and family-centered practices
• Review patient-facing policies, procedures, communications, and educational materials
• Support quality, safety, and patient experience improvement initiatives
• Share patient and family perspectives
• Promote partnership, trust, and engagement between Valley and the community
• Help identify opportunities to improve communication and shared decision-making

These activities are outside the scope of the Council:

• Review, investigation, or resolution of individual patient grievances or complaints
• Personnel or employment matters involving staff, providers, or volunteers
• Participation in operational committees or management of operational decisions
• Advocacy activities on behalf of external organizations or political initiatives

PFAC members are selected through an application and interview process conducted by the Council Co-chairs. Membership terms are two years and meetings will be held quarterly. Some meetings will be in a hybrid format (in-person and remote) and some will be remote-only.