Patient & Family Advisory Council

The vast majority of the membership on the PFAC is patients and family members who are at least 18 years of age. Our Patient Experience Specialist on staff will also be part of the committee, as will two or three other staff members, including clinical staff, who are passionate about creating excellent patient experiences. Total membership can vary from 12-20.

No previous volunteer experience is required to serve on the Community Hospital PFAC, but passion about quality and community is a must! You must be a good listener, share your opinions respectfully, and work well with others. Members also will be subject to a background screening and confidentiality agreement, and must provide information on vaccination status.

We want residents of the communities in the regional Community Hospital service area who truly care about high quality and service and have a desire to work with others to foster constant improvement at Community Hospital. We want both patients and family members who have had negative experiences at the hospital and ones who have had positive ones. But please don’t apply to serve on the committee if you just want to complain without being a part of the solution.

Community Hospital is prepared to create a format that works for the most Council members possible. That likely means allowing participation in multiple forms – in-person at Community Hospital; in a virtual setting; a combination of both; or alternating virtual/in-person meetings – per members’ preference or abilities. Meetings will be at 6-7:30 p.m. monthly, minus two summer months and December. Supper will be provided for in-person participants.

That depends on what YOU think is needed. The Patient & Family Advisory Council will do some storytelling about their experiences with the hospital and help determine what is most important to patients when it comes to having the best possible experiences every time. The Council will review hospital practices, policies, and education materials, identify strengths and weakness, and make recommendations for amendments/changes to improve the planning, delivery, and evaluation of care and services. The Council will hear from hospital leadership/staff for education about the hospital, as needed. In short, the Patient & Family Advisory Council advises hospital staff and leadership by creating materials and strategies for improving healthcare quality and safety for all patients and their families.

If you’re passionate about community and want to step up, share your experiences and ideas, and represent all Community Hospital patients, COMPLETE AN APPLICATION and hit "Submit Application" at the bottom. If you want to print it out and fill it out by hand, please mail or drop off the completed application to Diane Gumaer, Community Hospital, 1301 East H St., P.O. Box 1328, McCook, NE 69001 – or email it to dgumaer@chmccook.org. All applications will be reviewed by a selection committee, and top candidates will be contacted for interviews before an orientation or first meeting date is set. Staggered one-year, two-year, and three-year terms are available. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call Diane at 308-344-8292.