Patient and Family Advisory Councils to Provide Insight into Health Care Experience

Leading the national trend of engaging patients and families by putting them at the center of care, Spectrum Health announces a new health care education series led by its Patient and Family Advisory Councils (PFAC). The Perspectives Series offers participants an opportunity to gain insight into health care from the perspective of current and former patients and families.

“Through the eyes of our patients and families, we are creating a model of health care with a unique consumer focus,” says Kris White, vice president, Innovation and Patient Affairs, Spectrum Health. “Our goal is to give the community the opportunity to benefit from the peer-to-peer perspectives of people who have experienced health care through our organization. PFACs are an integral part of the Spectrum Health team.”

Through presentations and conversations, the series will offer a global look at health care from the patient and consumer perspective.

Event Information
Be an Engaged Health Care Consumer
By taking an active role with the health care team, patients and families can impact the quality of health care experiences, their health status and overall life. Panelists include Kris White along with patients and families.

When:   March 22, 2012 at 7 p.m.
Where:  Prince Conference Center at Calvin College
              1800 East Beltline SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546

The event will be broadcast to several locations throughout the region including Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial, Spectrum Health Reed City Hospital, Spectrum Health United Hospital, Spectrum Health Zeeland Community Hospital and the Widdicomb Building. Preregistration is required. Please call 616.776.9626 or visit http://perspectiveseries.eventbrite.com to register.

The next Perspectives event will focus on technology and its role in health care. Additional information will be posted on spectrumhealth.org.

Through 10 PFACs, Spectrum Health connects patients and families with health care leaders, physicians and employees. Acting as advisors, the councils provide feedback and input to the decision-making process, thereby helping shape program development and policy across the system.

Spectrum Health is a not-for-profit health system in West Michigan offering a full continuum of care through the Spectrum Health Hospital Group, which is comprised of nine hospitals including Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, a state of the art children’s hospital that opened in January 2011, and 190 service sites; the Spectrum Health Medical Group and West Michigan Heart, physician groups totaling more than 600 providers; and Priority Health, a health plan with 625,000 members. Spectrum Health is West Michigan’s largest employer with more than 18,000 employees. The organization provided $176.5 million in community benefit during its 2011 fiscal year.