Patient & Family Advisory Council Forms for LGBTQIA2S+ May 7, 2021 Building on the success of Samaritan’s Patient Advisory Councils that help to enhance services, a new group is forming this summer. An LGBTQIA2S+ advisory council will collaborate with other groups to support and cultivate an inclusive, patient‑centered environment. LGBTQIA2S+ is an acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or questioning, intersex, asexual, two-spirit and the other affirmative ways in which people choose to self-identify. The council will also guide initiatives to treat all people with respect and dignity, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. “The goal is to bring patient and family voices into our care design improvement work and improve patient care at Samaritan,” said Tasha Pendley, patient‑family engagement coordinator. Patient advisory councils are part of Samaritan’s ongoing efforts to advance patient satisfaction. They provide feedback to clinicians and foster a better understanding of health care among patients and the community. The idea for the new council grew from the work of an advisory council focus group that was consulted about using preferred names on hospital bracelets. “The conversation was so fruitful, we wanted to expand on that, to extend and make it in‑depth,” said Pendley. “People have provided such great feedback. That’s why I’m so excited.” To apply for a patient advisor position, contact the Service Excellence Team at [email protected].
