Patient and Family Engagement
"Nothing about me, without me." ~ Patient Advisors
Sault Area Hospital is committed to partnering with patients, families, and caregivers to ensure that the care we are providing meets the diverse needs of our community.
To accomplish this, SAH provides numerous opportunities for authentic engagement and partnership with members of the community who volunteer as Patient and Family Advisors.
Patient and Family Advisors contribute to fostering patient and family-centred care. Advisors work in collaboration with the SAH team to share their unique experiences, tell their stories and use their informed perspectives to help shape decisions and influence change, ultimately improving the overall patient and family experience.
Join the Team
A Patient and Family Advisor (Advisor) is a volunteer who shares their ideas and experiences to help make care at SAH better for everyone. You might be a good fit if you:
- Have been a patient, family member or caregiver that supported a loved one who received care at SAH in the past few years
- Value high-quality, respectful, inclusive, and patient-centred healthcare
- Are eager and willing to share your experiences (both what is working well and what could be improved) to help improve care for future patients, families, and caregivers.
- Are ready to take part in different types of teams to help shape how care is planned and delivered
- Enjoy working with other patients and family advisors, hospital staff and physicians
Patient and Family Advisors help make hospital care better for everyone.
As an Advisor, you share your lived experiences and perspectives to help guide decisions that affect care for patients, families, and caregivers. Many Advisors find it deeply rewarding to make a real difference and help create care that is more effective, inclusive, respectful, and patient-centred.
As an Advisor, you’ll gain:
- A deeper understanding of hospital programs and operations
- The satisfaction of contributing to improving care for all in our community
- Access to various hospital and volunteer events
- Complementary parking pass
Advisor Engagement Opportunities
As an advisor, you’ll have a variety of ways to get involved. There’s something for every interest and schedule.
Examples of what you might do:
- Join hiring panels for leadership positions
- Review materials and provide feedback on programs, policies, or patient documents
- Participate in projects, meetings, or focus groups of varying scope, from short-term to large-scale initiatives
- Share ideas on hospital spaces, services, or programs
- Serve on committees to help guide hospital decisions
- Help gather patient feedback to improve care and services
How to Get Involved:
- Review opportunity requests and sign up for activities that match your interests and availability
- Engagement opportunities ensure SAH is embedding the patient, family, and caregiver voice into the processes where the decisions are made
Before applying, we encourage you to review the Patient and Family Advisor information on this website and the Advisor Handbook. This will help you understand the role and what to expect.
Then complete the Patient and Family Advisory Program Application. Once your application is received, you will be contacted to take part in an informal interview and will be provided with information to help you prepare.
Prior to becoming an Advisor:
- Complete a Health Surveillance Form including a 2-step TB skin test and immunization assessment
- Undergo a Criminal Records Check with Vulnerable Sector Screening
Once you become an advisor, you will:
- Participate in a group orientation session
- Complete general hospital training
- Participate in a variety of engagement training
- Be paired with another Advisor to help learn more about the role
Patient, Family & Caregiver Declaration of Values: Our North Star
Developed by the Provincial Patient Family Advisory Council and adopted by SAH in 2023, these are the values the guide the work of our Patient and family Advisors. They reflect what our patients, families and caregivers except of providers when caring for patients.
Click here to learn more:
Voices of Care: Newsletter for SAH Patient and Family Advisors
Want to get a deeper understanding of what advisors do at SAH? We can connect you with a current advisor for a chat! For any additional information please contact the program coordinator:
Contact: Margaret Gardner, Partnerships Coordinator
Email: [email protected] | Phone: 705-759-3434, ext. 7324