Family Advisory Council Links Pen Bay, Community


Members of the Penobscot Bay Medical Center Patient and Family Advisory Council. Front row, from left, Ron Howard of Rockport, Joanne Billington of Rockland, Paula Schuessler of Lincolnville, Carolyn Montague of Owls Head, Roe Chiacchio of Camden. Back row, from left, Marty Martens of Camden, Dan Bookham of Rockland, Burton Elliott of Waldoboro, Alan Leo of Thomaston.
Not pictured: Sarah Stein of Rockport and Stephen Hanscom of Camden.

A new committee is giving patients and families a voice in decisions affecting patient care and family experiences at Penobscot Bay Medical Center.

Earlier this year, in response to patient satisfaction scores which revealed high marks for clinical quality, patient safety and infection control but lower scores for overall "customer service," PBMC announced its commitment to a new patient- and family-centered approach to care, and a number of initiatives being undertaking in order to implement this model.

One important step in this process was the creation of a Family Advisory Council to emphasize the patient's point of view in ensuring both high quality clinical care and an exceptional overall experience.

PBMC is proud to announce that the Pen Bay Family Advisory Council held its second meeting on June 21; the group will continue to meet the third Monday of the month at 5 p.m. at the Pen Bay Physicians Building. The council has 16 members, including 11 community representatives from Knox County, Lincolnville and Waldoboro, as well as five Pen Bay representatives.

The council chairman is Joanne Billington of Rockland. Members include Dan Bookham of Rockland, Roe Chiacchio of Camden, Carolyn Montague of Owls Head, Burton Elliott of Waldoboro, Ron Howard of Rockport, Alan Leo of Thomaston, Marty Martens of Camden, Paula Schuessler of Lincolnville and Sarah Stein of Rockport.

Pen Bay representatives on the council include Dr. Dana Goldsmith, vice president of medical affairs at PBMC; Paula Delahanty, RN, vice president for nursing services at PBMC; Eric Waters, PBMC chief operating officer, Christopher Burke, director of marketing and communications for Pen Bay Healthcare and Kelly Fickett, administrative assistant for PBMC nursing services.

The council is one step of many Pen Bay is taking as it implements a patient- and family-centered model of care, which emphasizes the partnership between patients and families and the people who provide their healthcare.

The core concepts of patient- and family-centered care are dignity and respect, information sharing, participation and collaboration.

"We're looking forward to building a solid bridge of communication between the community and key decision-makers at Pen Bay," said Delahanty, one of the top Pen Bay executives leading the patient- and family-centered care initiative. "We believe this group will be a constructive body that can truly help Pen Bay succeed in providing better care."

Delahanty says she encourages the community to contact council members with questions or issues. For more information, visit pbmc.org/pfcc. The council can be reached by email at advisorycouncil@penbayhealthcare.org