Upcoming Events
Today's Connection Call: July 10, 2-3 PM ET
Handling Patient Refunds
Guest Expert Becky RucknoMSW, MBA | Director, Patient Liaison and Interpretive Services, Geisinger Health System

Quarterly PAC Connection Calls provide opportunity for networking and idea sharing with peers. In addition to a brief presentation on a pre-announced topic, each call includes time for general discussion on the issues most impacting patient advocates today.

Webinar: August 22, 2-3 PM ET
When Patient Engagement Competes with Safety: Compassionate Approach to Limit Setting in Disruptive Situations

This panel presentation illustrates a unique angle of diverse perspectives on management of the growing national problem of consumer misbehavior in the healthcare industry. Through the eyes of a Patient Engagement Coach, a Patient Relations Manager, a Professional Practice Educator and a Chaplain we look at the impact of effectively managing these disruptive behaviors in both the inpatient and outpatient setting. Employees benefit from improved emotional self regulation, recognizing disruptive behaviors and feel more confident using limit setting and seeking assistance.

Did you hear about the PX Policy Forum?
The PX Policy Forum is an exciting initiative designed to influence and help shape policy on issues that directly affect the patient and family experience. Over the last year, the PXPF has been developing with the interest and commitment of hundreds of individuals comprising healthcare professionals, leaders, patients, family members and caregivers. It will operate as an independent coalition with the support of The Beryl Institute and therefore is not directly a part of the Institute. There will be discussion and planning meetings taking place in the coming months.  The intention is to ensure breadth of participation across organizations and ensure patient, family and caregiver voice is clearly represented. This newsletter will be a great vehicle to share information from the PXPF.  At this time for healthcare policy, our collective voices are more critical than ever. 
As part of The Beryl Institute's Grant Program recipient's research on Establishing Evidence-Based Benchmarks & Guidelines for the Field of Patient Advocacy, we request your feedback in a brief survey on the current state of individuals working in the field of patient advocacy.
Participation in this survey is voluntary and responses are anonymous. Participants have a chance to win a $25 gift card upon completed entry. If you would like to be entered into the drawing, please send your first and last name to Kim.Pedersen@nm.org.
Recommended Reading
The PAC Leadership team recommends you read JAMA's recent Viewpoint article, Breaking the Rules for Better Care by Donald M. Berwick, MD, MPP, Saranya Loehrer, MD, MPH and Christina Gunther-Murphy, MBA.
Welcome to the New Members of the PAC Leadership Team: 

  • Bibi Alley
  • Eve Devaro-Fowler
  • Elizabeth Mendoza
  • Kara Justice
  • Shelly Nix
  • Sandi Sands

We appreciate their willingness to step up and join our team. It is wonderful to have their ideas and enthusiasm. This group, along with current members  Kate Clarke, Toya Gorley, Kim Pederson, Brenda Radford ,Carol Santalucia, Linda Verlinden, and Irene Zbiczak comprise the PAC leadership team. Please let any of them know how we can better serve the needs of the Patient Advocacy Community. Think about ways to become involved – join a committee, submit an idea, etc. You won’t regret your involvement with this talented group.  

Note from PAC Leader Kim Pedersen

Recently I asked several of my colleagues to tell me what words came to their mind when they thought of patient advocacy, just off the top of their heads without giving it a lot of thought. They words they shared were diverse and represented a vast array of emotions and thoughts.  Words like caring, listening, happy, anger, scared, questioning, fear, and love.   This certainly solidifies why people working in this field need diverse and comprehensive support, education, training and self-care. And that is what we are working towards as an organization, as the Patient Advocacy Community.

The other, not surprising result is that the word Patient came up from everyone.   And I started to think that we always talk about “the patient” as someone out there needing our help, an unknown person, faceless, no personality, no emotions.  It seems to me this word does not clearly give life to those we are serving. 

So who is the patient? It’s the young boy who loved riding his bike and had just found the three coolest stones ever that he was bringing back to his Mom when he was hit by a car and thrown from bike. It’s the driver of that car, who had been fighting alcohol addiction after her husband of 6 months was killed in friendly fire serving the military. 

It’s the 92 year old man who would sit with grandchildren and great-grandchildren on his lap as he “pulled” nickels out of their ears and stole their noses and now lay quiet, struggling for every breath.  It’s the newborn baby girl that Mom and Dad had worked to conceive for 10 years, named Hope who now rested in the NICU with underdeveloped lungs and a life-threatening infection.

When we talk about the patient and the patient experience, try to remember one of the many stories you have encountered, the actual faces, lives, richness of these people.  When we can name our patients, give them life it helps us remember what we are actually fighting for.  

Blessings,

Kim Pedersen
Administrative Director, Patient Relations
Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital, part of Northwestern Medicine



The bi-monthly PAC Update is authored directly by members of the Patient Advocacy Community. To contribute to a future publication contact a member of the PAC leadership team.
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