Members of the workgroup to improve signage and pathways.

UMass Memorial Medical Center actively involves patients and family members in hospital and clinic committees and workgroups to improve services within our system. Having a patient or family member viewpoint brings tremendous wisdom and insight to evaluating our care and making improvements.

Some examples of collaborative initiatives include:

• Greeter Program to welcome and help direct patients and visitors
• Pathway/wayfinding project to improve signage and pathways
• Creating a brochure for trauma patients' families
• Design and furnishings for the oncology area in the Ambulatory Care Center
• Oncology team to decrease time patients wait for chemotherapy infusion
• Chair-side dispensing of medications by an oncology pharmacist to decrease patient wait time at outpatient pharmacies after chemotherapy
• Team to enhance discharge process
• Team to revise patient appointment letter
• Workgroup to decrease the wait time for inpatient interpreter services
• Committee to assess and improve human interactions and communications
• Team to establish UMass Memorial Facebook page

Ann Crowley, PFAC member, collaboratively worked with oncology staff to assess the layout/design of the new oncology suite located in the Ambulatory Care Center (ACC). Pictured here, she is recognized at the 2010 ribbon-cutting ceremony of the ACC when she told her patient story and shared her PFAC experience.