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Because your voice matters.

Member, Perinatal Quality Council

Posted • Last updated

Closed

Commitment: Long-term

Connection method: Virtual

Open to Vancouver Island Region

Last updated

Volunteer Opportunity
Are you a thoughtful communicator who is willing to use your experience of pregnancy and birth in a hospital to improve the quality of Perinatal Services? Join us on the Island Health Perinatal Quality Council!

RSVP Now

Lead Organization/Department
Island Health, Child, Youth and Family

Aim
The Perinatal Quality Council meets on a monthly basis to approve standards of care, review adverse patient events, identify improvements and celebrate successes. This council is one of over 20 councils that address quality matters and improve health care. We are looking for patient partners who have recent experience giving birth in an Island Health facility. We are also looking for representation from families who had an infant in one of the 2 Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) on Vancouver Island. Patient partners will be invited to draw upon their experience of care and community knowledge to contribute to decision focussed meetings.
We will be seeking involvement from Patient Partners from all regions of Vancouver Island.

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
• Experience having given birth at an Island Health facility within the last 3 years or experience with Nanaimo Regional General Hospital (NRGH) or Victoria General Hospital (VGH) Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) within the last 3 years
• Comfortable with formal meetings of up to 16 people

• Please note:

  • This opportunity is not open to patient partners who are currently employed by Island Health
  • 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.

Logistics
• Number of vacancies: 4
• Date/Time: 3rd Monday of each month for 1.5 hours from 8am-9:30am; additional time will be required for reading documents before and after meetings.
– Meetings beginning September 20,2021.
• Location: Virtually using Zoom
• Commitment: 1 year (possibly longer)

Reimbursement 
No out of pocket expenses are anticipated for this engagement opportunity. 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
This is a newly established quality council. We are looking for patient partners to help improve the patient experience. The council is made up of OBGYN’s, Neonatologists, Midwives, and Nursing Managers from all hospital sites across Island Health where babies are delivered and receive care. Please see the linked Terms of Reference document for more information on the guiding principles of this quality council:Perinatal-TORs-July-2021.docx

Health Care Partner Contact Information

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

From Our Community

Nancy J. Wood

Patient Partner, Sidney

Nancy J. Wood

I was thrilled to discover the Patient Voices Network, where the array of places to be the voice of a patient is vast and incredibly interesting. Besides my ongoing “gig” with the BC Emergency Medicine Network, I have enjoyed being involved in several one-off initiatives. I love working with professionals who genuinely value the perspectives of their patient partners.