About PFAC
A Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC) is a group of patients, family members, and hospital staff dedicated to improving the care experience of patients and family members. PFAC members provide valuable insights, feedback, and ideas to help shape hospital initiatives, policies, and patient-centered care improvements.
What do PFACs do?
PFAC members help to improve the patient experience by:
- Providing feedback based on their personal experiences as patients or family members.
- Collaborating with hospital staff and clinicians on committees.
- Lending patient expertise in discussion groups, educational sessions, and other strategic initiatives.
- Reviewing and helping to develop educational materials for patients and families.
- Assisting in hospital planning efforts to improve patient care and services.
What is a patient and family advisor?
A patient and family advisor is a patient, care partner, or family member who participates in a PFAC to provide insights based on their care experiences. Advisors help improve the quality and safety of hospital care by providing their unique perspectives on services, programs, and initiatives.
Who can be a patient and family advisor?
You may be eligible to become an advisor if you or a family member received care at a Mass General Brigham hospital in the past three years. No special qualifications are required — just a willingness to to collaborate, provide feedback, and contribute to meaningful discussions. Our goal is for our PFAC membership to reflect the diverse communities we serve.
Which PFAC should I join?
Every Mass General Brigham hospital has at least one general PFAC, which are open to all patients and family members who have received care at that hospital in the past three years. Some larger hospitals also have specialty PFACs, which focus on specific topic areas.
The following hospitals have General PFACs:
- Brigham and Women’s Hospital
- Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital
- Cooley Dickinson Hospital
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- Mass Eye and Ear
- Martha’s Vineyard Hospital
- McLean Hospital
- Nantucket Cottage Hospital
- Newton-Wellesley Hospital
- Salem Hospital
- Spaulding Rehabilitation (Including Boston, Cambridge, and Cape Cod)
- Wentworth-Douglass Hospital
Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital also offer specialty PFACs focused on specific care areas, such as:
- Emergency Department (ED)
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
If you are interested in joining a specialty PFAC, please contact us at pfac@mgb.org for more information.
Please note: You may only join one PFAC at a time, even if you are eligible for more than one. If you aren’t sure which PFAC is the best fit for you, email us.
How can I join a PFAC?
If you are interested in becoming a patient and family advisor, please fill out an application form here. Once we receive your application, we’ll reach out with the next steps.
