Children's Hospital Advisory Council
Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital Family Advisory Council was created in 2002 as we embraced the Family-Centered Care culture. The Family Advisory Council, which is made up of family members and hospital staff, meets monthly.
The Family Advisory Council goals are:
- To provide a family perspective to ensure that services meet the family needs.
- To communicate the needs of families and promote effective partnerships between families and professionals.
- To encourage opportunities for families to give feedback and suggestions to the Children’s Hospital on services, programs, and policies.
- To promote collaboration between families and staff to develop creative solutions to challenges faced by the Children’s Hospital.
For a Family Advisory Council brochure, please click here.
Accomplishments:
- Weekly Coffee Hours for families
- Creation of the Pediatric Chaplain position
- Cub’s Eye - Informational Directory for Families
- Design of new Children’s Hospital
- Family Advisory Council Brochures
- Family-Centered Care Brochures
- Equipment Return Brochure
- Video Orientation of Children's Hospital
- Family Advocacy Brochure
- Feedback on Quality & Safety Issues, Marketing Campaigns, Food Services, and Patient Satisfaction initiatives
- Creation of Family Greeter Program
We currently have 15 Family Members on our Family Advisory Council and they currently have or have had:
- Children who receive care from the Children’s Hospital and/or outpatient clinics
- Children who once received care at the Children’s Hospital and have passed away
Pediatric Inpatient Units represented by Family Members:
NICU, PICU, IMC, General Floor, Rehab, ED, OR
Pediatric Outpatient Clinics Represented by Family Members:
- Audiology
- Cardiology
- Complex Care/Hummingbird
- Dermatology
- Endocrinology
- Genetics
- GI
- Headache Clinic
- Hematology/Oncology
- Nephrology
- Neurology
- Neurosurgery
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Bone and Joint Institute
- Psychology
- Radiology
- Rheumatology
- Surgery
- Therapies (Occupational, Physical, Speech)
- Urology
- Kaela Appleman- PIMCU RN
- Rachel Delmar- PICU RN
- Michelle Del Pizzo, Administrator of Children's Hospital
- Kris Englund-Kreiger - Social Worker
- Debbi Fuhrer- Co-Chair, Family-Centered Care Coordinator
- Linda Goodwin- Pediatric Chaplain
- Nicole Hahnlen- Nurse Coordinator, Hummingbird Program
- Patti Hart - Director of Nursing, Children’s Hospital and Women’s Health
- Cindy Lacroce - Outpatient Clinic Nurse
- Michelle Marino- Care Coordinator
- Joan McGeary - Child Life Specialist
- Alycia Nygard- Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Unit RN
- Dr. Barbara Ostrov - Vice-Chair of Pediatrics, Pediatric Rheumatologist
- Liz Schaeffer- PICU RN
- Kahly Smith - NICU RN
- Mary Theresa Smith, Administrative Support
- Matt Wain - Chief Administrator for the Adult and Children’s Hospital
For more information about getting involved with the Family Advisory Council for the Children’s Hospital, please email Debbi Fuhrer or call her at 717-531-0003 x281216. You can also fill out our online application here.