Because your voice matters.

Member, Perinatal Program Council, Northern Health

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Open to Northern Region, Patient partners in Northern Region

Last updated

Have you given birth recently? Do you have an interest in helping to improve the quality of Perinatal (prenatal, delivery and postpartum) services as part of an ongoing advisory council?

Open to: Patient partners in Northern Region

Lead Organization or Department

Northern Health, Perinatal Program

Aim

Northern Health values patient input and seeks to include patient perspectives wherever possible. The patient partner along with other members of the council will develop recommendations of priorities/goals, standards, policies, plans and quality improvement processes related to the Northern Health Perinatal Program. The group also addresses issues associated with education, skill development and professional practice.

Level of Engagement

This opportunity is at the level of collaborate on the spectrum of engagement. The promise to you is that the research partner will work together with you to formulate solutions and incorporate your advice and recommendations into the decisions to the maximum extent possible.

Eligibility

  • Have experience receiving prenatal, delivery and postpartum care
  • Seeking one patient partner with rural context/experience and one patient partner with an urban experience, Indigenous background an asset
  • Comfortable sharing experience/story and shared decision making
  • Ability to seek a regional/system perspective
  • If you have a strong interest in this work but have not yet completed a PVN orientation and Volunteer Agreement, are unsure if your experience is a good fit, please contact Cathy Almost List any other criteria given by HCP.
  • Include info from “Open to Volunteers” from field above

Logistics

  • Vacancies: 2
  • Location: Telehealth (June 22); Vancouver (September 2018)
  • Commitment: Meetings 4 times per year. One year commitment.
  • Date and Time:
    • 2 full-day in person meetings (Vancouver or in region) - spring (March/April) and fall (Sept/Oct)
    • 2 Videoconference/teleconference meetings - June and Nov/Dec
    • Next scheduled meeting is June

Reimbursement

Pre-approved travel expenses such as flight/mileage, accommodation with accompanying receipts will be reimbursed.

Background

The Perinatal Program Council has been in place since 2006. Currently there is a regional focus on strategic directions relating to the coordination of planning, service delivery and quality improvement in perinatal program area. The Council aims to stimulate, steward and support Northern Health's goal to achieve and sustain high quality obstetrical services. Care providers on the council include: Primary Care Providers: Physicians (Obstetricians/Gynecologists, Pediatrician, General Physicians), Midwives, Nurse Practitioner; Nurses: educator, clinical, administration. Other members include: Population and Public Health, Indigenous Health. Co-Chaired by: Registered Nurse (Executive Lead) and Obstetrician (Medical Lead). Care settings include Acute Care (delivery service) and Community Care (prenatal and postpartum service).

Health Care Partner Contact Information

Cathy Almost
Engagement Leader, Patient and Public Engagement | Northern BC
250.615.9932
calmost@bcpsqc.ca

From Our Community

Karla Warkotsch

Patient Experience Consultant – Interior Health

Karla Warkotsch

The question I like to ask health care employees is ‘Who is this for?’ and ‘Do we have the right people at the table?’ As a health care employee, I see how easy it is to fall into doing for, rather than doing with patients. The voices of the patient, family and caregiver are essential to ensure the patient is central to the direction and focus of the work being done.

Members of the BCPSQC pose for a team photo at the Quality Forum 2019.

Health Quality BC administers the Patient Voices Network. Using evidence-informed strategies, the Council shifts culture, improves clinical practice and advances person- and family-centred care to support high-quality care for every person in our province.