We're excited to celebrate the 13th annual Patient and Family Centred Care Week at ACH from November 18th to 22nd. This year's theme is Connecting Through Shared Commitments. Shared Commitments was launched earlier this year by AHS. The Shared Commitments aim is to improve the healthcare experiences of Albertans by engaging them in their care and helping healthcare providers build strong and trusting relationships with them.

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 2024 Team Challenge. Your challenge is to create a visual representation of the theme using the object provided. This year, we have a wood speech bubble to fit with our theme of Connecting through Shared Commitments.

Your team needs to be three or more people from your service area/unit/clinic or from across the site. We provide the wood speech bubble — 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 speech bubble to decorate. For more information contact the PFCC Team.

We are pleased to have Bree Schleppe join the ACH PFCC Team as the PFCC Project Manager. Bree will be taking on role while Justine Fehr is on parental leave. Bree has a background is in healthcare leadership, administration, and mental health. She holds a degree in Linguistics and is currently working towards a Masters in Precision Health — Quality and Safety Leadership. This position aligns closely with her passion for improving healthcare experiences for Albertans. Bree feels honoured to have the opportunity to work alongside patients and families; to uplift the voices of those who are most impacted by our healthcare system.

Outside of work, Bree can be found spending time outdoors—hiking, camping, and paddleboarding. She is also a big music enthusiast and enjoys quality time with her husband, toddler, and two standard poodles.

We invite you to contact Bree 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 bustling with activity for the 2024 ACH Pride Fair on August 29th. 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 glitter tattoos or their photo taken at the photo booth.

As of June 24, 2024, Alberta Health Services has introduced a new online required organizational learning module "Patient Experience 101" for all new and existing staff.

This module builds on our collective success to embed patient and family centred care throughout AHS and also looks at other factors that impact the patient experience including health equity, workforce experience and Shared Commitments. The goal is to affirm the work AHS employees are already doing and to excite them about the future.

i4 Conference explores the future of healthcare - November 6 and 7. i4 offers a diverse lineup of speakers, engaging workshops, and networking opportunities. Registration is $55 for the two days. Complimentary registration is available for patients and families - contact achpfcc@ahs.ca for the code.