Patients and family members can make voices heard at City of Hope through council
by Ryan Vincent

Navigating through an institution as complex as City of Hope can be daunting for patients and families. The Patient and Family Advisory Council aims to make City of Hope a better place for them — and the group is looking for new recruits.

Orientation classes, led by Carolyn Stoutt and other staff members, are just one program benefiting from the perspective of the Patient and Family Advisory Council. (Photo by Fred Lee)

Sponsored by the Sheri & Les Biller Patient and Family Resource Center, the Patient and Family Advisory Council has had a hand in guiding various programs and services that help create an exceptional care experience for patients and families at City of Hope, said Annette Mercurio, M.P.H., C.H.E.S., director of programs for the Biller Patient and Family Resource Center. These include the Patient and Family Orientation class offered at the center, which gives practical information such as where to ask questions about medical bills, where to eat and what support services are available at City of Hope.

The council started in May 2008. Members serve one-year terms and can renew their commitment for additional years. With council member slots soon opening, Mercurio believes patient volunteers have a chance to not only do good but feel good by joining the group.

“Members most often say they feel good about giving back to other patients and families,” she said. “It’s about doing something to make the care experience outstanding for others.”

Mercurio stresses that current or former patients and their family members are eligible to join the council. They would need to be able to spend two to three hours a month on council issues. Leaders seek candidates who are passionate about partnering with the Biller Patient and Family Resource Center and City of Hope to create the best possible programs and services for patients and their families.

Bill Cloer, current council chair and father of a pediatric patient, believes the council’s biggest accomplishment under his tenure is to have solidified as a “force for positive change.”

”The most important thing that we as a council have done is establish ourselves as a body that’s dedicated to improving the experience of the next generation of patients,” Cloer said, “and as long as that goes forward, it will be for the benefit of everyone.”

Cloer said the 23-member group fully embraced its advocacy role in February 2009 when Alexandra Levine, M.D., M.A.C.P., City of Hope’s chief medical officer, met with the 25-member body. That strengthened the council’s resolve to carry out its mission of communicating patients’ needs to City of Hope’s leaders.

“We had a candid discussion covering, from start to finish, things that impact patients on a daily basis,” Cloer said. “When people like Dr. Levine spend an hour with you, I have to trust that it has an impact.”

For his part, Cloer believes he has gotten as much out of his time as council chair as he has put in. “It sounds canned, but it’s not: It’s a privilege and an honor,” he said. “People there have remarkable stories, and it’s something I don’t take lightly.”

The Patient and Family Advisory Council meets on the last Wednesday of the month from noon to 2 p.m. at City of Hope. For more information, or to volunteer or nominate a potential member, contact Mercurio at amercurio@coh.org or 626-301-8926.