Member, Island Health Kidney Services Operations & Quality Council

Volunteer Opportunity
Do you want to ensure that kidney patients have access to person and family-centred, high quality health care? If you enjoy thinking strategically and working collaboratively to advance and embed the patient and family perspective in all aspects of kidney care, please consider joining the Island Health Kidney Services Operations & Quality Council! We are eager to welcome two patient partners!

RSVP Now

Lead Organization/Department
Island Health, Kidney (Renal) Services

Aim
Island Health Kidney Services Operations & Quality Council responsibilities include:
• Development and approval of clinical procedures, protocols, guidelines and decision support tools.
• Reviewing data/metrics for quality assurance and quality improvement purposes.
• Planning and prioritizing quality improvement initiatives.
• Identifying, prioritizing and managing clinical risk.

As members of the Council, patient partners will contribute to the activities that support the planning, evaluation, and continuous improvement in Kidney Services across Island Health.

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

Eligibility
• Open to patient partners from: Vancouver Island region
• Lived experience (patients or family caregivers) of chronic kidney disease.
• An interest in working together with health professionals to meet the long term goals of improving the quality of care for people living with chronic kidney disease.
• Please note we hope to recruit diverse voices and welcome patient partners of various ages, genders, kidney disease experiences, and cultural backgrounds from across Vancouver Island.
• Please note:
– This opportunity, as with all Island Health patient engagement opportunities, is not open to Island Health staff members or patient partners who are currently employed by Island Health. If you have questions regarding this, please email patient.experience@islandhealth.ca
– The placement process for this opportunity may include an informal interview between the volunteer and the health care partner.
– Applicants must have previously attended a PVN orientation session and completed the Volunteer Agreement. If you have not attended an orientation session but you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Charmaine Niebergall directly to see if accommodations may be possible.
– As required by the October 14, 2021 Public Health Order released by the Provincial Health Officer, proof of vaccination is required to access any in-person meetings at an Island Health site. Proof of vaccination can be provided by way of a Vaccination Passport or Vaccination card, along with government issued photo ID. For patient partnership activities that are virtual only (via Zoom, video conference, phone, etc.), proof of vaccination is not required.

Logistics
• Number of vacancies: 2
• Date/Time:
– 1 meeting every 2 months
– Wednesday mornings from 08:00am to 10:00am (2 hours) beginning January 2022.
• Location: Virtually using zoom (or in-person in Victoria or Nanaimo as COVID requirements permit – see above note in regards to required vaccinations as per the Public Health Order for meetings at an Island Health site.)
• Commitment: 1 year with the possibility of an extension.

Reimbursement
No out-of-pocket expenses are anticipated for this engagement opportunity. If in-person meetings occur, expenses for travel and accommodation, if needed, will be reimbursed by the Island Health Kidney (Renal) Services team.

However, if you meet the eligibility criteria but have concerns about your ability to participate, please contact Charmaine Niebergall cniebergall@bcpsqc.ca to see if support options are available. We are always seeking to better understand and reduce barriers to participation.

Background
The Kidney Services Operations & Quality Council provides leadership, support and direction in the planning, implementation and monitoring of kidney care services and works to enable high quality care for kidney patients across Vancouver Island. The Quality Council promotes and supports a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach to quality improvement. Membership includes patient partners, clinical, administrative and technology leaders from across our program. We believe that patient partners are instrumental in guiding our work as we strive to optimize quality of care for people living with chronic kidney disease.

To date, the Kidney Services program has engaged with patients partners through our standalone Patient Advisory Committee. However, per our commitments to meaningful and fulsome patient engagement through our program Patient Engagement Framework, we want patient partners as key members of our Operations & Quality Council.

Council membership includes program and clinical leadership, with representation from our multidisciplinary team including nursing, nephrology, and allied health professionals (social worker, dietitian, pharmacist).

Health Care Partner Contact Information

Charmaine Niebergall
Engagement Leader, Patient & Public Engagement | Vancouver Island
778.700.2064
cniebergall@bcpsqc.ca