We are pleased to have Justine Fehr join the ACH PFCC Team as the PFCC Project Manager. Justine brings an immense depth and breadth of experience to the role from both her professional and personal journeys. She comes to ACH from GRIT Calgary where she worked for nearly 10 years as a Child Development Specialist and in administration. She brings a unique personal lens to the role as a former ACH patient, a sibling and guardian of a patient with complex needs, and as a caregiver for a number of ACH patients. Justine joined the ACH PFCC Network in 2015 and has been an active advisor and peer mentor. This includes being a facilitator for Teens Talk Transitions, a member of the ACH Pain Committee, a member of the Family Advisory Council, and most recently, a co-chair of the newly formed Safety Family Advisory Council.

Justine is honoured to be joining a team of people committed to improving the patient and family experience! In her downtime she enjoys travel and scuba diving. The longest road trip she has ever taken was 49 days and 12,000km.

We invite you to contact Justine to discuss how she can provide a PFCC lens to your work and projects. She would be delighted to hear from you.

The main gathering area at ACH was a hive of activity for the 2023 ACH Pride Fair on September 6th. Staff, patients and families were invited to reflect on kindness and inclusivity through creating kindness kards, doing crafts, and learning about relevant programs and services. Participants had fun getting their face painted or their photo taken at the photo booth.

After 19 years as a therapeutic clown at ACH, "Sparkle" (Cheryl Ann Oberg) retired on September 13th. Sparkle's gift for sharing laughter and play with patients and families made some difficult experiences a little easier to bear. These acknowledgements and stories from patients and families remind us of all that Sparkle brought to ACH. She will be missed!

My daughter looked forward to her hospital stays because you made it bearable!!

[Our Child] was hospitalized for asthma and was struggling to keep his lungs open but hated doing the breathing exercises. A bedtime story with some huge belly laughs was

just what the doctor ordered and was music to our ears.

As a despondent teen you pulled me out of my dark space and brought me back to the light.

You taught us all that when life gets hard to always find time to laugh!

And may we all remember the words Sparkle often shared with us:

Remember the perfect day is filled with Joy, Laughter, and Play!

We're excited to celebrate the 12th annual Patient and Family Centred Care Week at ACH from November 4th to 10th. This year's theme is "Partnership Makes a World of Difference". We have lots of activities planned for the site. Get involved in the celebration, the energy, and the fun! Watch for more details soon and contact the PFCC Team to get involved.

Get involved now by getting a team together and planning your entry into the PFCC Week 2023 Team Challenge. Your challenge is to create a visual representation of the theme using the object provided. This year, we have a wood circle to fit with our theme of 'partnership makes a world of difference".

Your team needs to be three or more people from your service area/unit/clinic or from across the site. We provide the wood circle - you provide the decorating supplies and your creative talent. All entries will be displayed during PFCC Week with a prize and trophy going to the top three teams.

Click here to enter the challenge and receive your circle to decorate.

Our new Safety Family Advisory Council was launched in the spring. This Council is already providing valuable input and feedback for the ACH Safest Together initiatives and other hospital safety projects.

Do you know someone who may be interested in joining this Council? We are looking for youth and family members who have experience with emergency, inpatient or medical day treatment at ACH. Please encourage them to email the PFCC team for more information.

i4 Conference explores the future of healthcare - November 1 and 2. Complimentary registration is available for patients and families - contact achpfcc@ahs.ca for the code.

Beyond the Walls - Partnering with People and Communities to Achieve Health - Cormac Russell. AHS PFCC Week Webinar on November 6th from 12-1pm.

Patient Experience Showcase II - Learn about 12 patient experience examples in AHS - November 8th from 12-3pm (with option of attending one or more hours).

This peer led workshop runs for 3 consecutive Saturday mornings starting on October 14 and ending on October 28, 2023. It is designed to help youth (ages 14-19) learn to manage their chronic health condition in a supportive, fun environment with their peers. A simultaneous workshop for parents/caregivers regarding the transition to adult care & services is also offered.

For more information or to register, call 403-955-7252 or email wellonyourway@ahs.ca