In 2023, the Mount Sinai Emergency Department (ED) formed the Patient and Family Advisory Council—a formal partnership among patients, their loved ones, and hospital staff—to ensure the best possible medical and emotional outcomes for all who walk through Mount Sinai’s emergency room doors. This collaboration took various forms, with council members giving feedback on patient-facing materials, sharing personal stories with hospital staff, participating in focus groups, and offering insights into policies and procedures.
Deborah Dean, MD, Medical Director, Mount Sinai Brooklyn; Emergency Department Vice Chair, Mount Sinai Health System; Co-Chair, Quality, Safety and Patient Experience Committee for the Emergency Medicine Service Line; Associate Professor, Emergency Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, is leading the effort to integrate safety, quality, and the patient experience across Emergency Medicine.
Deborah Dean, MD
Ellen Dupont, Director, Quality Management, Emergency Medicine and Emergency Department PFAC Advisor, says that PFAC members, who come from all five New York City boroughs, represent a wide range of lived experiences and bring a unique perspective that is “so valuable.”
“In order to empower our patients and caregivers to be true partners in their care, they need to have a seat at the table and a way to make their voices heard,” says Ms. Dupont. “That is what we set out to do, and we have been so moved by the compassion they show for each other, for other patients, and for our hardworking staff.”
The creation of the PFAC was the result of many months of thoughtful planning and effort. Emergency Department leadership identified the need to create an advisory council as a department priority at a dedicated patient experience planning session in 2022. The Department learned from other groups with active and engaged patient advisory councils and is especially grateful for the model provided by the Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital. Mount Sinai Health System Patient Experience partners supported the recruitment effort, making more than 100 phone calls to identify patient partners interested in the effort. Ultimately, 12 community members with experience as Mount Sinai patients or caregivers joined the PFAC as inaugural patient and family partners—individuals who work with Emergency Department leadership to design and improve patient-centered care experiences tailored to the unique needs of the Mount Sinai community. The council members represent a variety of ages, geographic areas, and spoken languages, and have received care at all seven Mount Sinai Emergency Department locations.
The Emergency Department at The Mount Sinai Hospital was renovated in 2023 with the patient experience in mind.
Council members shared their experiences and ideas for improvement, providing advice on policies and practices, supporting patient and family-centered care principles, generating innovative ideas, and attending monthly committee meetings. These efforts resulted in enhanced communication and understanding among patients, caregivers, and the care team, continuous education for members, and the ability to identify patient and caregiver needs comprehensively throughout the care experience. The council also retrieved feedback on various aspects of the Emergency Department experience, such as digital applications, informational handouts, and facility walk-throughs. The PFAC’s monthly meetings and ongoing efforts were coordinated by Dumond Austin, MBA, Project Manager, Operations, Mount Sinai Health System, and Diana Grillo, LCSW, CPXP, Patient Experience Coach, Mount Sinai Beth Israel.
“I am used to telling my family and friends about my experiences in the emergency department, but my experience with the PFAC was very different,” says Tartania Brown, MD, a patient partner and doctor who works outside the Mount Sinai Health System. A Black woman living with sickle cell anemia, Dr. Brown joined the PFAC to help improve the emergency room experience for people of color.
“They genuinely wanted to understand the problem and come up with solutions,” she says of the PFAC. “They even wanted to hear about the parts others don’t want to hear about, such as racial disparities.”
During focus groups, the PFAC heard personal stories about patient and caregiver experiences with hospital staff, learned how patients and families are impacted by hospital policies and procedures, received insight into how to improve informational material for patients, and solicited advice on how to enhance policies and practices. Moreover, the PFAC members engaged in diversity initiatives, such as the Factual, Affirming, Informative, and Respectful (FAIR) equity project—documentation that aims to reduce harmful and biased language in patient medical records—emphasizing the council’s commitment to addressing systemic biases and promoting inclusivity in health care delivery.
Building on this momentum, the PFAC aims to reach a number of goals in 2024. These include assessing and improving the care of patients awaiting admission, enhancing the distribution of informational materials and resources for patients and caregivers, expanding the council’s reach through recruitment efforts aimed at increasing diversity and representation, and continuing to foster inclusive, compassionate, and effective health care experiences for all.
“I am thankful to the team for listening and making changes,” says Dr. Brown. “It feels wonderful knowing the Emergency Department and Patient Experience leadership are committed to the success of the PFAC. I truly hope this will manifest into positive long-term changes.”
In our patients’ own words
“I have been a lifelong patient of Mount Sinai and always recommend friends and family to them. In my book, it’s the best Emergency Department in New York City. Thank you for always having the best doctors and staff.”
− Patient at Mount Sinai Morningside's Emergency Department