Overview
One Voice: Healthcare Partners, formerly the Voice of the Patient Advisory Council, will empower patients and families to take an active role in improving the patient experience at Taussig Cancer Institute. This program promotes patient and family-centered care and serves as an advisory resource for employees, staff and administration.
Patients are at the heart of everything we do at Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center. They are active participants in the care they receive at our facilities - but our partnership with patients extends beyond their individual treatment plans. One Voice: Healthcare Partners is an opportunity for patients, families, and caregivers to partner together to improve the services offered at Cleveland Clinic.
Mission
One Voice: Healthcare Partners was established at Cleveland Clinic in 2009 to help ensure that patient voices are heard, and that patients' safety and well-being remain our first priorities as caregivers. Patients in Healthcare Partners share first-hand experiences and unique insights into our care processes that are invaluable. These insights were recently put to use in designing patient care and services at Cleveland Clinic's new multidisciplinary Cancer Center. Together with key hospital leaders, this team of compassionate individuals helps to improve our patient services and programs, and ensure the high quality of care that people have come to associate with Cleveland Clinic.
Cleveland Clinic has implemented Healthcare Partners across many institutes and areas that meet regularly to discuss and impact a variety of issues affecting patients and family members. Healthcare Partners include employees and patients and are a great resource to hear directly from the people we serve.
Charter
Guiding Principle: Our Voice: Healthcare Partners
We work with our healthcare partners, defined as patients and the community that cares for them, and Cleveland Clinic caregivers to transform healthcare, and support our vision of Patients First and providing relationship-centered care.
Vision: Patients and Caregivers as Partners for Better Health
Mission: Improving Healthcare Through Collaboration
We provide compassionate care addressing the emotional, spiritual, and physical needs of all stakeholders to transform healthcare together as a community. We will promote the best care for healthcare partners while supporting caregivers, based upon the following principles.
- Council meetings will be co-lead by healthcare partners and Cleveland Clinic caregivers.
- We will seek to represent the diverse populations served.
- We will transparently share our work with one another and engage in continuous improvement.
- We will improve what exists, and dream about what doesn't to drive innovation.
- We will work to enhance the lives of those that serve through compassion and empathy.
Get Involved
Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center is always in the process of forming its next One Voice: Healthcare Partners Council. Members participate by providing feedback on a variety of issues and challenges affecting patients and families with the goal of improving the care experience for all patients.
Criteria for becoming a Healthcare Partner member include:
- Sharing insights about patient care constructively
- Interacting well with others
- Patients treated on Cleveland Clinic Main Campus
- Finished with active treatment
- Non-Cleveland Clinic employees
Council Member Commitment:
- Completing a screening application
- Attending volunteer service orientation (including background check, TB test)
- Committing to 2 hour monthly meetings at Taussig Cancer Institute for one year
How You Can Help
Throughout the monthly meetings, One Voice: Healthcare Partners members bring patient needs and concerns to Cleveland Clinic caregivers, give constructive feedback so that future patients might have even better experiences throughout their cancer treatment.
Healthcare Partners members are nominated by a multidisciplinary advisory council that has recognized an individual as an asset to the mission and projects of Taussig Cancer Institute's Healthcare Partners. For more information, contact the Best Practices Department in the Office of Patient Experience at 216.444.7500 or 800.223.2273 ext. 47500.
Accomplishments
Projects
This advisory resource empowers patients and families to take an active role in improving the patient experience at Cleveland Clinic and provides real-time feedback and creative solutions to specific challenges.
Our Healthcare Partners have reviewed several hospital policies, including patient visitation and discharge information, helped define the expected service behaviors of all employees, renovated family areas, and developed educational materials for different nursing units.
Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center's Healthcare Partners have had an influence in many decisions made throughout the Institute and future plans for cancer care at Cleveland Clinic.
Recent Healthcare Partners Accomplishments
New Building Plans
The Taussig Cancer Institute Healthcare Partners provided input and feedback throughout the planning for the new Taussig Cancer Center on Cleveland Clinic Main Campus including the following:
- New building letter designation (CA)
- Decided on new end of treatment celebrations for current patients
- Provided feedback to Joseph Beth Bookstore on inventory and merchandise available in the new building
- Made revisions to the My Journey Binder delivered to new patients receiving treatment
2016
- Provided feedback on the letter designation for the new building, retail space and contents, treatment milestone celebrations and patients education at the new Taussig Cancer Center.
- Overviewed versus technology to improve patient understanding and compliance with locating systems.
- Identified additional community outreach opportunities in local communities and increase patients awareness/involvement in outreach events.
- Provided feedback on the importance of financial costs associated with treatment being share with patients.
2014-2015
- Completed food service information request to provide input on cafeteria options and location.
- Groups discussions related to referral experiences, the ease of scheduling, way finding flow, checking in, patient wait time and scheduling follow up appointments.
- Provided feedback on their experiences from the time of diagnosis to start of treatment in terms of communication, support and access to resources.
- Identifying potential opportunities for Cancer Center Community Outreach programs
- Tested and gave feedback on new chemotherapy infusion chairs for the cancer center.
- Reviewed the My Journey Binder to help new patients with treatment education and information about the cancer center.
