PFCC - Newsletter

You can learn about Patient and Family Centred Care activities at Alberta Children's Hospital by reading our monthly e-newsletter - Together We're Better. This newsletter will give you insight into Family Centred Care Initiatives, profile our Family Centred Care champions, and keep you up to date on upcoming education opportunities. Archived copies are available on the FCRC website.

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September 2019 Edition PFCC WEEK November 4th-8th The Human Connection Nominations Calling all patients, families, and caregivers! Help us recognize the Human Connection at the Alberta Children's Hospital* by nominating an individual who made you feel seen, heard, valued, understood, or supported. You can nominate any staff (clinical and non-clinical), physician, or volunteer who made even a small difference.  We will present nominees with a "PFCC Week 2019 – The Human Connection Staff Champion" button to wear during the week. They will also be acknowledged at the PFCC Week Celebration Event.  Think of the little moments here at the Alberta Children's Hospital when someone’s kindness and/or action made a difference for you or your family. To submit your nomination, either fill out the nomination form or email us with your nomination information at achpfcc@ahs.ca. You are welcome to nominate more than one person.  *Alberta Children's Hospital includes the Child Development Centre and the Rotary Flames House. ACH Team Challenge Bring together an ACH team and share with us what The Human Connection in Healthcare means to you by decorating and filling a 12” x 12” puzzle piece. We provide the puzzle pieces and you provide the decorating supplies and creativity.  All puzzle pieces will be displayed in the cafeteria during Patient and Family Centred Care (PFCC) Week Nov 4th to 8th. The winner will be announced at the PFCC Week Celebration on November 8th at noon. The winning team will receive a trophy and a gift card for some "treats".  All decorated frames are to be returned to the FCRC by October 30th for judging.  To receive a puzzle piece please email us at achpfcc@ahs.ca. Leadership Rounding Update Since May, ACH site leaders have gone on leader rounds and talked with over 65 patients and families from the emergency department, inpatient units, day treatment, and outpatient clinic areas. For our leaders, these sessions have proven to be very fulfilling and a highly valued experience. Overall, patients and families are very grateful for the care they receive here. They have recognized many different staff members and programs for making a difference in their care experience. This feedback has included but is not limited to nurses, physicians, social workers, art and music therapists, child life activities, security, and the STEP team. Quite a few patients and families mentioned how much they appreciated when healthcare providers involve them in their care. It was important for them to be treated as a person, with interests, hobbies, emotions, and feelings, rather than just their disease/disorder or what brought them here. ACH Site Leadership Rounds take place on the first Thursday of every month from 1:00 to 2:00 pm. If you are interested in learning more about ACH Site Leadership Rounding, please contact juliana.harris@ahs.ca. Tina Sakon - new PFCC Team Member! Please help us in welcoming Tina Sakon to the ACH PFCC Team. Tina will be coordinating the Family Advisory Council (FAC) and Child and Youth Advisory Council (CAYAC), in Marie’s absence. Tina has been an ACH staff member for many years in a variety of roles and has always been an active PFCC champion. Born and raised in Calgary, Tina graduated from the University of Calgary with a Bachelor of Nursing degree. As a new grad, she was hoping to start her career in cardiology but found herself at the Alberta Children's Hospital instead. She took a 3-month term position at ACH and found pediatrics to be very rewarding. Tina decided to stay on and has never looked back! Her career has spanned several years; first as a clinical nurse both on the units and in the Emergency Department; then as a sessional instructor for the university; and in more recent years, many have known her as a project manager, QI consultant, and Outreach Services Coordinator. When she’s not at work, Tina enjoys being outdoors hiking, golfing and gardening. She connects with her creative side through knitting and spending time with her family (husband, two university-aged children Taylor and Jake, and her dog Maddie). Tina can be reached at tina.sakon@ahs.ca or 403-955-7313. New Charging Station in the Emergency Department Attention Families & Staff!!! We are excited to announce that there is now a mobile device charging station for families in the Emergency Department Waiting Room. This secure charging station is mounted inside the waiting room near the double doors. It has 6 lockers and only requires 3 easy steps to lock up a mobile device while it charges. Instructions are posted on the outside of the station. Please help spread the word as this will be a big help for families who didn't bring a charger for their phone.