By Kelly Lieb, DMSc, PA-C, the director of patient experience at Sheridan Memorial Hospital and a physician assistant at Northeast Wyoming Pediatric Associates.
In contemporary healthcare, achieving truly patient-centered care means engaging more than just clinical expertise — it requires the voices of patients and their families. Patient and family advisory councils (PFACs) serve precisely that role, bringing together patients, caregivers and providers to collaboratively shape healthcare in meaningful ways.
PFACs typically consist of current and former patients, family members and caregivers working alongside hospital staff to guide improvements in care delivery, safety, policy and patient experience. These councils represent a shift from traditional, top-down decision-making toward a partnership model rooted in mutual respect and collaboration between medical staff and patients.
Patient experience
PFACs embed real patient perspectives directly into healthcare delivery — going beyond one-time surveys to offer nuanced, real-time insights and an ongoing, structured forum where lived experiences can shape how healthcare is delivered.
Quality, safety, trust
By bringing issues to light, PFAC members help identify gaps and opportunities for better quality and safety of healthcare. Also, by fostering a collaborative environment that builds trust between patients, families and providers, PFACs strengthen the clinician-patient relationship.
Systemic change
PFACs have evolved from feedback panels to partners — bringing forward perspectives that help shape projects from their inception. This reflects a broader shift in healthcare toward patient empowerment and puts into place additional accountability mechanisms promoting safer, more responsive care.
By involving patients and families as genuine partners, healthcare organizations can elevate trust, uncover blind spots, foster innovation and build systems that prioritize what matters to those they serve.
In small communities like Sheridan, healthcare providers are used to receiving honest, real-time feedback from their patients and many incorporate that feedback into their daily work. PFACs take the feedback one step further, into a formal setting that ensures it is considered by the entire healthcare system.
As Sheridan Memorial Hospital continues to grow, its staff has always valued the shared mission of providing excellent, patient-centered care to the community. As we create our own patient and family advisory council, we look forward to learning more about community needs and exploring how to best serve our friends, families and neighbors.