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Patient Family-Centered Care Program

The Patient Family-Centered Care (PFCC) program is a way for St. Jude families to stay involved with the hospital after their child is off treatment.

Woman speaking in microphone at event

In the Patient Family Centered-Care (PFCC) program, caregivers and hospital staff work together to improve the patient experience at St. Jude. There are in-person and virtual opportunities for caregivers to help. 

Core concepts of PFCC

The core concepts of PFCC are:

  1. Dignity and Respect: To honor patient and family values, beliefs, and cultural backgrounds in care planning and delivery. 
  2. Information Sharing: To share timely, accurate, and unbiased information that enables patient and family participation in care and decisions. 
  3. Participation: To support patient and family involvement in care and decision making at their chosen level. 
  4. Collaboration: To partner with patients and families in developing and evaluating care, programs, policies, education, research and facility design

The core concepts of PFCC place value on:

  • Recognizing that each child and family is unique and deserving of equitable, flexible care that reflects their values, backgrounds, and choices. 
  • Fostering open and honest communication among patients, families, and health care staff to improve care experiences and inform change. 
  • Empowering families to participate in their child’s care by ensuring they understand their options. 
  • Valuing families as partners in improving quality and safety through shared knowledge and collaboration.

The PFCC program’s fiscal year 2024–28 strategic plan goals are to:

  1. Amplify underrepresented family voices across hospital committees and work groups in an effort to identify and overcome barriers to improve care.
  2. Engage more advisers, eliminate gaps in communication, and drive progress forward throughout all levels of adviser engagement. 
  3. Provide opportunities for professional development and community building among all active family advisers. 
  4. Execute joint initiatives with various St. Jude departments to initiate more caregiver support and mentor programs to ensure families feel supported along the trajectory of care. 
  5. Promote varied PFCC programs that can be utilized as an internal resource to ensure the caregiver voice is represented in policy and facility design, clinical trial development and patient care and safety collaboration. 
  6. Educate and train staff on PFCC initiatives so that they can connect their work to a culture of respect, inclusivity, partnership and collaboration. 
  7. Share best practices in patient and family support programming in the US and globally by partnering with our peers, patients, and families. 

How to become a family adviser or volunteer

Caregiver advisers must be at least 18 years of age to volunteer. To apply, fill out the caregiver advisors application form.

Patients and past patients, who are interested in volunteering, must be at least 16 years of age to volunteer. Please fill out the application form to apply. 

Ethan and his mother Kamala

Being part of the PFCC program gave Kamala Steele a chance to share with families, "I don't understand, but I understand."

Read her story.

Appreciation and achievements

PFCC gives out several awards to St. Jude staff who best show they practice excellence in patient family-centered care. These awards include PFCC Champions, Partners in Excellence, and Platinum Partners. Selected staff members demonstrate the core concepts of the PFCC. Those who follow these concepts can help to:

  • Shape hospital policies, programs, and design
  • Improve quality and patient safety
  • Improve health outcomes
  • Contribute to a wise use of resources
  • Improve patient experience
  • Create respectful and fruitful partnerships between families and staff

Contact us

Email PFCC@stjude.org for updates on Patient Family-Centered Care at St. Jude.

Kathryn Berry-Carter, Director
Phone: 901-595-2277
pfcc@stjude.org

Learn more