Pierre Benoit

Patient partner

Pierre Benoit pursued a career in teaching at the primary and secondary levels, followed by adult education and consulting in health and safety. Very involved in his community, he also served on the board of directors of a financial institution and was president of the Rendez-vous des aînés francophones d’Ottawa (RAFO). 

Pierre has had several experiences as a caregiver. He supported his wife in her battle with cancer and also accompanied his mother at the end of her life, for whom language was a challenge, even though the doctors were bilingual. As a cancer survivor himself, he has a deep understanding of the realities experienced by patients and their loved ones. In addition, his involvement with RAFO allows him to listen to the needs of seniors and bring their voices to the committee.

He became a member of the PCFAC in order to better understand and improve patient experiences, particularly regarding follow-up care after a cancer diagnosis. As a patient and caregiver, he found that the system too often focuses on the disease rather than the person. So he wants to help strengthen interpersonal skills and the human dimension of care through an approach focused on patients and caregivers needs and circumstances.

Pierre points out that although data is essential, it does not always tell the whole story of the patient’s experience. To truly improve care, we need to understand how and why some clients have not been well served and use that information to guide policy and decision-making.