Eastern Health Launches First Year-in-Review for Client- and Family-Centred Care (CFCC)

March 8, 2023St. John’s, NL: Eastern Health was pleased this week to launch its first Client- and Family- Centred Care (CFCC) year in review. The 2022 impact report outlines the role of client and family advisors, the value they bring to the delivery of health-care services and the advancements in the Client- and Family-Centred Care (CFCC) approach to care, which was adopted by Eastern Health in 2017.

Guided and supported by the concept of people-centred care, CFCC is a philosophy of care that views the people who use health services as equal partners in planning, developing, monitoring, and evaluating care. Advisors can impact every level of health care, from policy development to improvement processes for various programs, as well as contributing to the selection process for new hires.

“We actively engage with advisors and view them as valued members of the team,” says Judy O’Keefe, vice-president responsible for Quality and Safety at Eastern Health. “We currently have more than 80 advisors volunteering in our system. They bring the client and family perspective to the table by participating in various initiatives, but more importantly they bring their stories, their experiences and their passion to the role and are instrumental in making a difference in the delivery of health care.”

Client and family advisors consist of volunteer clients, patients, residents and family members who:

  • have received care within the past few years and/or has had multiple past experiences being a client of Eastern Health; and/or
  • have had or is currently having an experience of care with Eastern Health; and
  • who is willing to share his/her experiences of care to make a positive impact in health care.

Advisors can provide valuable perspectives into initiatives such as the expansion of the Community Paramedicine Program, which will see a phased approach in offering services such as medication reviews, IV antibiotics, fall risk assessments to help prevent falls, as well as other services. Advisors also share their views on various cancer care initiatives with some participating in a recent project to enhance and expand virtual care services for patients of the provincial cancer care program.

“My role as a cancer advisor has been very fulfilling,” says Kevin Sheppard, co-chair of the Provincial Patient and Family Advisory Council, Cancer Care Program. “Being an advisor gives you the opportunity to have input, to help make decisions and to expand your own horizons. Working in partnership with health-care professionals has resulted in new solutions and new ideas.”

In addition to the Provincial Patient & Family Cancer Care Advisory Council, there are a number of Client and Family Advisory Councils in various program areas across Eastern Health including the:

  • Regional Client & Family Medicine Advisory Council
  • Mental Health & Addictions Client and Family Advisory Council
  • Regional Long-Term Care Resident & Family Advisory Council
  • Burin Peninsula Health Centre Client & Family Advisory Council
  • Provincial Rehabilitation Patient & Family Advisory Council
  • Janeway Youth Advisory Council (YAC)

To learn more about CFCC initiatives or to find out how to apply to become a client and family advisor, read the report and listen to stories from other advisors in the CFCC video, which can both be found on Eastern Health’s website at: www.easternhealth.ca/prc/your-say/client-and-family-advisors/.

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About Eastern Health 

Eastern Health is the largest, integrated health authority in Newfoundland and Labrador employing approximately 13,000 dedicated employees, over 700 medical staff, and is supported by hundreds of volunteers, including members of numerous auxiliaries and fundraising foundations. With an annual budget of approximately $1.7 billion, the authority offers the full continuum of health and community services including public health, long-term care, community services, hospital care and unique provincial programs and services. Serving a population of over 300,000, Eastern Health’s geographic boundaries extend west from St. John’s to Port Blandford including all communities on the Avalon, Burin and Bonavista Peninsulas.


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Last updated: 2023-03-08