Press releases

Yale-New Haven Hospital news release
Release date: March 18, 2005
Media contact: Mark D'Antonio, (203) 688-2493

Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital establishes family advisory council

In some ways, Connie Gustafson has had more experience with the Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital (YNHCH) than some employees. When her 4-year-old son Jeremy was born with premature fusion of his skull plates, and her daughter Kylee, 2, was coping with a rare muscular syndrome, the hospital was her second home.

Another parent, Joy Morrison, became such a fixture at the hospital after her 12-year-old son Jonathan was born with a blockage in his intestines that staff encouraged her to apply for a job at the hospital. Morrison's son, who is now doing well, spent his first 36 weeks in the Newborn Special Care Unit (NBSCU), has been hospitalized 188 times and has had one major and 21 minor surgeries in the last dozen years. Joy is now a business associate in the NBSCU.

It would make sense for these parents to want to stay far away from the hospital in their free time. But when Ellen Good, child life director for the hospital, invited them to join the unique YNHCH Family Advisory Council (FAC) last September, both jumped at the opportunity.

"I looked at it as taking a negative and turning it into a positive," said Gustafson. "We can take the information and knowledge we gained and put it to a positive use."

Cheryl Hoey, RN, patient service manager of the hospital's school-age and adolescent unit, is the FAC's co-chair. "The Family Advisory Council grew out of the Family-Centered Care Initiative that is part of our mission in the Children's Hospital," explained Hoey. "FAC members have the ability to change and improve our pediatric practice so we meet or exceed our vision of family-centered care."

The new Family Advisory Council is made up of eight staff members and nine families who have spent long hours in places such as the pediatric emergency department, the newborn special care unit and outpatient clinics. Some have children who are still ill and receiving treatment; others have children who have recovered and a few families had children die.

Together, these parents provide a valuable perspective on how the children's hospital can better serve its patients and their families. They have already helped develop signs to encourage hand washing and are creating "how to share a room" guidelines for patients and families who have been admitted to semi-private rooms. Hospital employees speak at the monthly family council meetings, and ask the group for input on such matters as new menus, pediatric emergency department parking and billing.

"These family members are a wonderful group of people who bring so much experience, insight and wisdom to the FAC - they have used many of the hospital's services, and are wonderful change agents, providing us with valuable input," said Good. "There is so much more the FAC will become involved with in the future."

Gustafson said the benefits have worked both ways. In December, the child life department and the hospital's auxiliary invited the Gustafsons to light the holiday trees. "That was so spectacular," Gustafson said. "A week later my son was in the pedi ED, and as we were leaving he pointed to the lights and said, 'We did that.'"

Reporters: For more information on this release, contact Mark D'Antonio, (203) 688-2493.

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Last revised: Match 18, 2005 (mv)

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