TGH has appointed Sarah Jones-Chambers, Leslie Reicin Stein, and Fred W. Freeman to the executive leadership team of the volunteer group that advises Tampa General on patient experience.
Tampa, FL February 20, 2023) – The Patient and Family Advisory Council at Tampa General Hospital (TGH) is announcing the election of its new Executive Leadership Team for the 2023-2026 term. The new officers on the council are Fred W. Freeman, Sarah Jones-Chambers and Leslie Reicin Stein.
Tampa General Hospital’s Patient and Family Advisory Council is a diverse group of patients, family members and/or caregivers who meet regularly to advise the hospital about ways to enhance the patient experience by providing more patient-centered care. The Patient and Family Advisory Council is an essential element in creating the best possible patient experience and a significant part of the hospital’s vision to be the safest and most innovative academic health system in America.
Fred W. Freeman will serve as executive chair and brings a finance and management background to the Patient and Family Advisory Council leadership team. Freeman has served on the Oncology Council and Technology Committee of the council, and he is focused on improving patient services and accessibility of medical records through Information Technology.
Sarah Jones-Chambers will serve alongside Freeman as executive co-chair. Jones-Chambers was recruited for the Council by Lara Klick, vice president of TGH Patient Experience, after she expressed her passion for inclusive patient communication. Jones-Chambers is a spokesperson and champion for seniors’ rights, respect and dignity in medical care, and she has served on the StoryCorps, Bylaws and Technology Committees of the council.
Leslie Reicin Stein will serve as executive secretary during the term. Stein applied to the Patient and Family Advisory Council six years after she was treated for inflammatory breast cancer at Tampa General. In her application, she described how her medical team collaborated with colleagues across hospitals to administer her treatment, prioritized her physical and mental well-being and gave her hope when the odds were not in her favor. Through her work with the Oncology and General Councils, Stein has influenced the very protocols that give patients like herself comfort and reassurance.
“Hearing from patients with different perspectives is how we can exchange constructive ideas and ensure the best possible as well as a dynamic patient experience,” Klick said. Klick was recognized for her work in patient advocacy and experience by Becker’s Hospital Review in their list of Outstanding Chief Experience Officers in 2022.
Involvement in the Patient and Family Advisory Council at Tampa General Hospital is a prime opportunity for patients to get involved in their health care system and provide an invaluable perspective that fosters patient-centered care. “Patient advocacy can continue after a patient leaves the hospital,” Klick noted. By joining advocacy groups, patients across the United States can influence policymaking, education, accountability, public health and more based on their own experiences with health care systems.
PFAC isn’t the only patient experience tool at Tampa General. The Patient Experience team also uses several patient surveys and data analysis to understand patients’ perspective and voice. “Power Hours” bring together nurse leaders to share feedback and evidence-based health care best practices for patient rounding. Patient rounding refers to the time clinicians dedicate to visit with patients to review their current health and care plans. Ensuring free, qualified language interpretation services and aides for patients under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is also crucial to the patient experience, as is working in partnership with Tampa General’s Spiritual Health and Education team to help sustain the spiritual health of patients, families and team members.
Applicants to the Executive Committee submit a formal application and interview with the Patient and Family Advisory Council Chair. They must commit to serve and attend meetings on a regular basis, share Tampa General’s commitment to excellence in patient-centered care, have a positive approach and be able to communicate and consider different points of view.
For more information about Tampa General Hospital’s Patient and Family Advisory Council, please visit https://www.tgh.org/patients-visitors/patient-and-family-advisory-council-pfac.
ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL
Tampa General Hospital, a 1,040-bed, not-for-profit, academic medical center, is one of the largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care as the region’s only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. Tampa General Hospital is the highest-ranked hospital in the market in U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-23 Best Hospitals, and is tied as the third highest-ranked hospital in Florida, with seven specialties ranking among the best programs in the United States. Tampa General Hospital has been designated as a model of excellence by the 2022 Fortune/Merative 100 Top Hospitals list. The academic medical center’s commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by two prestigious Forbes magazine rankings – first nationally in the 2022 America’s Best Employers for Women and sixth out of 100 Florida companies in the 2022 America’s Best Employers by State. Tampa General is the safety net hospital for the region, caring for everyone regardless of their ability to pay, and in fiscal year 2021, provided a net community benefit worth more than $224.5 million in the form of health care for underinsured patients, community education, and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay. It is one of the nation’s busiest adult solid organ transplant centers and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With six medical helicopters, Tampa General Hospital transports critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care they need. Tampa General houses a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center, and its 32-bed Neuroscience, Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida. It also is home to the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed neonatal intensive care unit, and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General Hospital’s footprint includes 17 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices, TGH Family Care Center Kennedy, TGH Brandon Healthplex, TGH Virtual Health, and 21 TGH Imaging powered by Tower outpatient radiology centers throughout Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Palm Beach counties. Tampa Bay area residents also receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track network of clinics, and they can even receive home visits in select areas through TGH Urgent Care at Home, powered by Fast Track. As one of the largest hospitals in the country, Tampa General Hospital is the first in Florida to partner with GE Healthcare and open a clinical command center that provides real-time situational awareness to improve and better coordinate patient care at a lower cost. For more information, go to www.tgh.org.
