What is the PFACQS Committee and How is it Helping MedStar Southern Maryland Improve?
PFACQS stands for Patient and Family Advisory Council for Quality and Safety. It is a committee that meets quarterly and is made up of hospital associates and patients, family members of patients and community members. Its mission is to work together to help each MedStar hospital continuously improve safety and quality of care, with an ongoing commitment to put patients first.
“This is where I come to make a difference,” said Carlene Davenport, one of the members who represent the community on the PFACQS Committee. “It’s important this hospital keeps striving. I tell people: I guarantee you, they’re working and they’re making improvements. Like with voting, you have to participate to make a difference and this is where I come to be an active participant in my community.”
At the beginning of summer, the PFACQS Committee met to discuss great strides the hospital has made to reach out to the community. These efforts included running smoking cessation courses and establishing the Transitional Care Clinic (TCC), which provides care and resources to patients who have left the hospital but have not yet seen their primary care physician. In the future, the hospital plans to hold additional courses and screenings, such as this summer’s Living Well courses dealing with chronic pain management, and a lung cancer screening to be held in August. The TCC is also expected to expand services to patients who need diabetes management and palliative (end of life) care.
“When MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center put out the message we were seeking PFACQS Committee members, the response was overwhelming,” said MedStar Southern Maryland President Christine Wray. “We are so proud of this committee and their important work. We want real, honest feedback, and they aren’t afraid to give it to us. This helps us tremendously, both as we identify ways we can improve, and also ways we can let the community know the great things that are happening here.”
MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center thanks all members of our committee and dedicates itself to incorporating the work of PFACQS into our daily operations. Visit MedStarSouthernMaryland.org/PFACQS for more information on MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center's PFACQS Committee.