Patient, Client and Family
Advisory Committee
What is the Patient, Client and Family Advisory Committee?
The Patient, Client and Family Advisory Committee (PCFAC)'s role is to help the Archipel Ontario Health Team improve our healthcare system. The committee is made up of patient partners, who are individuals with lived experiences of health care and services. These individuals must represent the diversity of Archipel’s clienteles and communities.
Help us shape a better healthcare system by participating in our PCFAC initiatives
Archipel Ontario Health Team (OHT) is working to build a healthcare system that effectively meets the needs of Ottawa East and Prescott-Russell residents. This system must be fair, inclusive, and tailored to our communities. To do this, we need your ideas and experiences.
You can help by becoming an Archipel patient partner. Get involved by serving on the PCFAC, participating in focus groups, or responding to surveys. The level of participation is flexible and based on your availability whether short-term or long-term.
Interested? Please read on to learn more about the committee and its members.
You don’t need to be an expert in the healthcare system. Your lived experience is what makes you an expert.
What is the PCFAC’s mandate?
The PCFAC’s mandate is to contribute to the development of Archipel’s programs, services and initiatives. The goal is to improve care delivery, as well as our populations’ experience and quality of life. The committee also plays an active role in patient, client and family engagement initiatives.
Meet the PCFAC members
The committee members are volunteers actively engaged in their community. They all agree that the voice of patients and families is fundamental in identifying gaps in the system and improving the quality, equity, and accessibility of care.
Ginette Beaudry
Ginette draws on her experience as a caregiver and palliative care volunteer to make the voices of patients and families heard in care planning.
Pierre Benoit
Pierre wants to help strengthen interpersonal skills and the human dimension of care so that the system focuses on the person rather than the disease.
Nicole Cadieux
Nicole wants to improve the accessibility of health information so that it is simple enough to enable every patient to navigate the healthcare system more easily.
Diane Hupé
Diane believes in listening more closely to patients’ voices and wants to help move the system toward a more humane-centred approach better aligned with users’ needs.
Heidi Lehr-Richard
A nurse by training, Heidi is driven by a desire to improve care by strengthening collaboration between users, families, and healthcare professionals through a human-centred approach.
This place is for you!
The Patient, Client, and Family Advisory Committee is looking for new members who represent our diverse clienteles and communities.
We are looking for new members to better represent the diversity of our population
We are working to build a system that reflects the actual needs of our community, in all its diversity. It is therefore essential that the people who sit on advisory committees and decision-making tables reflect this community. To learn more about the characteristics of the population assigned to us, visit the page Our population.
Are you part of an underrepresented group? Apply to become a member of the Patient, Client, and Family Advisory Committee by filling out the application form.
What would I do as a member of the PCFAC?
Here are some of the responsibilities of committee members.
- Participate in monthly meetings, usually by videoconference.
- Be open to sharing your experiences and expertise, while learning from others.
- Make recommendations to improve access to healthcare and service delivery.
- Make recommendations on Archipel OHT policies regarding patient care, particularly the involvement of patients and their families.
- Recommend strategies for training, supporting, and recognizing family caregivers.
- Work in partnership and participate in co-design activities with Archipel staff, working groups, other committees, and partners.
- Build relationships and collaborate with other patient and family advisory committees in Ottawa, Prescott-Russell, and at the regional and provincial levels, as appropriate.
- Uphold the Ontario Patient, Family and Caregiver Declaration of Values.
- Commit to a two-year term.
What are the benefits of becoming a member?
By joining the Patient, Client and Family Advisory Council, you will contribute to improving healthcare services and care for yourself, your loved ones, and your community.
- You will be able to use your experiences and share your stories so that the voices of patients, clients, and families are heard.
- You will have the opportunity to work with others who are committed to improving the healthcare system.
- You will also learn about how the system works and how decisions are made. You will have the satisfaction of knowing that your ideas and your voice matter.
Application form to join the Patient, Client and Family Advisory Committee (PCFAC)
PFCAC Application
Are you looking for health services or resources for patients and families?
Check out our page Resources for patients and our section Find services. In some cases, you may even book online appointments.
