Member, Northern Health Critical Care Program Council

Northern Health’s Critical Care Council is seeking two patient partners to work with them as they strive to improve care for the most critical patients. If you are interested in improving services in the Intensive Care Unit, Emergency Department, and Trauma Care, please read on!

Open to: Patient partners in Northern Health communities

Lead Organization or Department

Northern Health (NH) Critical Care Program

Aim

Northern Health’s Critical Care council is an advisory committee that provides input and direction on services for the region’s most critical patients – namely, those in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Emergency Department (ED), and receiving trauma care. By engaging patient partners, the council aims to ensure that the views and ideas of those who have experienced care in one of these three areas are included in any program improvements. Patient partners will act as an equal member of the critical care council.

Level of Engagement

This opportunity is at the level of collaborate (at a local community or program level) on the spectrum of engagement (www.iap2.org). The promise to you is that the health care partner will look to you for advice in decision making, developing alternatives, and solutions and include your recommendations into the decision as much as possible.

Eligibility

• Open to patient partners from the Northern Health region.
• Specific perspectives the Critical Care Council would like to hear from include (but are not limited to): patients who have experience in the ICU, ED, and/or Trauma, and patients who have received health services in urban and rural settings.
• Comfortable working collaboratively with a diverse team, including senior leaders, physicians, front line care providers, and other NH staff. This may include sharing their own personal experiences, asking pointed questions, and discussing complex improvement ideas as required.
• Understanding of data analysis is an asset. However, the critical care council can provide guidance and instruction to patient partners if required.
• Patients should have previously attended a PVN orientation session. If you have not attended an orientation but are interested please contact either Cathy Almost or Anthony Gagne directly to see if accommodations may be possible

Logistics

• Vacancies: 2 (1 urban and 1 rural representative preferred).
• Meetings occur quarterly (January, April, June and September).
• First meeting date will be in June 2017 (date to be confirmed).
• Two meetings occur face-to-face (January and June). Remaining meetings occur via videoconference.
• This placement is for one year, with possibility of renewal if desired.

Reimbursement

NH will reimburse expenses related to attending meetings, including travel, accommodations, and meals.

Background

The Northern Health Critical Care Program Council (“Council”) functions as a regional quality forum for the development and recommendations of standards, policies, plans and quality improvement processes related to the Northern Health Critical Care program area. The Council also addresses issues associated with education, skill development and professional practice. The Council is made up of front line staff, leaders, administrators, and physicians - all of whom work in Emergency Departments, Intensive Care Units, Trauma care and Population Health. We also have a data analyst, financial representative, and administrative support. The Council will have a regional focus on strategic directions relating to the coordination of planning, service delivery and quality improvement for a Program area.  The Council will be involved in recommending solutions and strategies to Critical Care Program Leads on issues involving prevention, access to care, quality and safety of care, appropriate standardization of clinical and administrative processes, and efficient resource allocation and utilization within the continuum of care spectrum. A consistent best- evidence approach will guide the discussions. Additional information can be found in the Terms of Reference (ToR): NH Critical Care Program Council - Terms of Reference  

Health Care Partner Contact Information

Anthony Gagné
Engagement Leader, Patient and Public Engagement | Northern Interior
250.961.5156
agagne@bcpsqc.ca