Greetings ,

This October issue is filled with resources designed to educate and inform patients, families, and healthcare professionals.

Register below for our upcoming events.

Our Leadership Series webinar titled “The Many Faces & Facets of Leadership,” will be held on October 30th. Join the conversation with two family leaders at Children’s Mercy Kansas City about their 18-year history developing meaningful partnerships with families that have had a profound impact on the culture of the organization.

The next Informal Conversation, “Evaluating and Measuring the Impact of Patient and Family Advisory Councils and Committees.” will be hosted on November 13th. Evaluating and measuring the impact and broadly sharing results of the PFAC and PFA Program’s efforts are critical to expanding and sustaining effective programs.

Kind regards,

The IPFCC Team

The Art of the Possible: An IPFCC Leadership Series

The Many Faces and Facets of Leadership

Join us for the next IPFCC Leadership Series webinar on October 30th from 1:00 - 2:00 pm. Liz Crocker, MEd, Vice Chair of the IPFCC Board, member of the Saskatchewan Health Quality Council, and co-author of Privileged Presence, will be interviewing DeeJo Miller, Director, Patient and Family Engagement, and Sheryl Chadwick, Program Manager, Patient and Family Engagement, Children’s Mercy Kansas City. The title of the conversation with these two family leaders is, “The Many Faces & Facets of Leadership.” Plan to attend and bring both executive leaders and patient and family leaders to this important discussion.

• Fee for this live and recorded webinar is $60 USD.
• Fee for individuals from IPFCC PFAC Learning Community Hospitals is $40 USD.
• All employees and PFAs from IPFCC Pinwheel Sponsors’ Hospitals and Health Systems have complimentary registration.

Upcoming Informal Conversation

November 13^th, 12:00-1:00pm ET

Join IPFCC for our next Informal Conversation, “Evaluating and Measuring the Impact of Patient and Family Advisory Councils and Committees.” Evaluating and measuring the impact and broadly sharing results of the PFAC and PFA Program’s efforts are critical to expanding and sustaining effective programs. Barbara Lewis, PhD, brings valuable expertise and resources in measuring the impact of PFACs and will be serving as presenter. This Conversation will engage participants in a discussion about evaluation and measurement strategies and resources.  

Thank you to our PFCC.Connect Sponsors!

Resources and Opportunities

2024-2025 Impact Report: Care That Counts

This report describes how focused, community-driven efforts can create meaningful change where it counts the most. Whether it’s a patient navigating the health system, a caregiver supporting a loved one, or a provider working to deliver better outcomes, they are united by a shared desire for care that is safe and high-quality, rooted in what matters to individuals and communities. Access the report here.

Celebrating Canadian Patient Safety Week

Healthcare Excellence, Canada is celebrating Patient Safety Week from October 27th through October 31st. The theme this year is All Voices for Safer Care. This is an annual campaign that brings people together around a shared goal. Access more information here.

Emergency Care Planning for Children with Medical Complexity

This article, "The Impact of Emergency Care Planning for Children with Medical Complexity: Nora's Story," published in Pediatrics describes the importance of appropriately preparing for and responding to emergency care issues through the story of Nora, the perspectives of her family, and the healthcare team. It highlights the impact of the partnerships and trust built between families and health care professionals that led to the development of a comprehensive ED care plan and kits with essential, specially-sized equipment for safe and effective emergency care for Nora. Other children with medically complex conditions could benefit from this collaborative planning for emergency care. Access the article here.

Advancing Health Equity

IHI’s Leadership Alliance developed this White Paper titled, “Advancing Health Equity: An Approach to Systematically Identify and Evaluate Health Disparities”. This paper describes a four-step approach for identifying inequities and constructing metrics that advances health equity for health systems. It presents a practical guide for health care organizations to adopt practices to advance health equity and eliminate disparities. If you are a member of IHI you can access the White Paper here.

IPFCC's Resource Center

IPFCC is proud of its Resource Center that contains a multitude of important publications, guides, self-assessment tools, and other resources. The Resource Center offers guidance, tools, and practical strategies for advancing patient- and family-centered care in all settings. Many of the resources are available for purchase but free downloads are also available. Visit the Resource Center. Check out the insightful toolkit: “Partnering with Patients and Families to Enhance Quality and Safety.” This toolkit describes the history of patient safety, and the evolution of patient and family partnerships in safety and quality improvement. The CMS Patient Safety Structural Measure is highlighted with information about best practices and emerging best practices for how hospitals and health systems are responding to this new measure. In addition, this resource includes practical tools for creating and sustaining these essential partnerships with patients and families.

2025 IPFCC PINWHEEL SPONSORSHIP – Renew, Upgrade, or Join Now! 

Pinwheel Sponsors' staff and PFAs will receive complimentary registration for our upcoming Leadership Series Webinar to be held on October 30th. A representative of each Pinwheel Sponsor is invited to join the quarterly Pinwheel Leadership Forum, an informal discussion among these leaders about current challenges and successes.

We invite you to renew, upgrade, or join as a Pinwheel Sponsor today by completing the online Pinwheel Sponsor Application. If you need more information, please contact Sherry Hajec at shajec@ipfcc.org.

Thank You to Our 2025 Pinwheel Sponsors!

PFCC.Connect

Emory Healthcare

University Health

Health System

Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Hospital/Organization

Akron Children’s Hospital

American College of Radiology

Children’s Mercy Kansas City

Children’s Specialized Hospital

IWK Health Centre

MHA Keystone Center

Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center

Moffitt Cancer Center

Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare

Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre

University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital

University of Miami Health System

University of New Mexico Children's Hospital

Wellstar MCG