24 Apr 2023
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Patient and Family Advisory Council – It begins with you.

Scotland County Hospital is looking for patient and family advisors to serve on our newly established Patient & Family Advisory Council (PFAC) for the hospital & clinics. Our patient and family advisory council is organized of current and former patients, family members and health caregivers that works together to advance best practices at the hospital and rural health clinics.
Former patients and families collaborate with employees (clinical, administrative and support staff) to provide guidance on how to improve the patient and family experience. Patient and Family Advisory Councils are an excellent way to help health care institutions better understand the perspective of patients and families while also helping clinical and administrative staff better identify the needs of their patient population and bring patient and clinicians views closer together.
The goal of patient and family engagement is to create an environment where patients, families, clinicians, and other team members collaborate as partners to improve the patient experience and quality of care.
Who can be a patient & family advisor? 
  • You can be an advisor if you or a family member received care at Scotland County Hospital or one of our Rural Health Clinics in the last 5 years
  • You are a community member from Schuyler, Scotland, Clark or Knox Counties
  • You are a Scotland County Hospital & Clinics employee
  • You do not need any special qualifications to be an advisor
What is a patient & family advisor?
  • A patient and family advisor is someone who wants to help improve the quality of our hospital & clinic’s care for all patients and family members
  • Gives feedback to the hospital based on his/her own experiences as a patient or family member
  • Helps plan changes to improve how we take care of patients
  • Works with the hospital and either short-term or long-term committees, depending on the project
  • Volunteers his/her time for at least 1 hour and not more than 4 hours a month
Is being a patient & family advisor right for you?  Being a patient and family advisor may be a good match with your skills and experience if you can:
  • Speak up and share suggestions and potential solutions to help improve hospital & clinic care for others
  • Talk about your experiences as a patient or family member – but, also think beyond your own personal experiences
  • Talk about both positive and negative care experiences and share your thoughts on what went well and how things could have been done differently
  • Work with a diverse group of people
  • Listen and think about what others say, even when you disagree
  • Bring a positive attitude to discussions
  • Keep any information you may hear as an advisor private and confidential
If this type of volunteer position interests you and you would like more information about becoming a patient and family advisor at Scotland County Hospital & Clinics, there is an application process. The application can be found HERE.  Join us! Together we can work to make our hospital the best it can be!