Member, Palliative Care Steering Committee

Palliative care occurs in community, acute, residential and hospice care. In response to the 2015 Ministry of Health initiative to increase the number of hospice spaces across the province, Interior Health formed a project team to plan the implementation of these beds through to 2020. Palliative care has recently moved from project to program status in Interior Health and has newly formed a Steering Committee, so this is the perfect time to collaborate with a patient voice!

Open to: Patient partners in the Interior region

Lead Organization or Department

Interior Health - Palliative and End of Life Care

Aim

We wish to have a patient voice on our Palliative Care (PC) Steering Committee to ensure we are making decisions and considering future directions of PC in Interior Health that incorporates the ideas and concerns of patients.

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

• Experience as a patient with a life-limiting condition or as a family member or friend of a patient who has received palliative and/or end of life care is ideal.
• Note: Palliative and End of Life Care can be a sensitive topic and can trigger emotions. Please ensure you have a support system in place.
• 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 or feel another format of engagement would work better with your availability, please contact the engagement leader directly.

Logistics

• Vacancies: 2
• Format: The Steering Committee meets every month for 1.5 hours by phone. We are a virtual team with members from all across Interior Health.
• Commitment: 1 year term with option to extend.

Reimbursement

Expenses will not be incurred for this committee.

Background

Palliative care (PC) in Interior Health has been occurring as part of our basket of health care services. PC occurs in community, acute, residential and hospice. In 2015 the Ministry of Health implemented an initiative to increase the number of hospice spaces. Interior Health formed a project team to plan the implementation of these beds through to 2020. As this planning has evolved so has further coordination of PC services. PC has recently moved from project to program status in Interior Health we have newly formed a Steering Committee. This is the perfect time to collaborate with a patient voice. Additional members of the committee will be:

• Clinical Nurse Specialists
• Palliative Care Medical Director
• Executive Medical Director
• Acute, Community, Allied Operations Leaders
• Program support – Aboriginal Health, Quality, Communications, Project Management

Health Care Partner Contact Information

Jacquelyne Foidart
Engagement Leader, Patient and Public Engagement | Thompson Cariboo
250.879.1077
jfoidart@bcpsqc.ca