Family Advisory Council

Community Input for Pediatric Care in East Tennessee

The Family Advisory Council was formed at Children's Hospital in 2008. Having family members serve in an advisory role to the hospital allows them to have input and influence on policies, programs and practices affecting the delivery of care and services for children and families. If you would like to speak with one of our council members or for more information about getting involved, please call (865) 541-8724.

Join the Family Advisory Council

Help us find the right people! We are looking for some energetic and hard working parents, grandparents, aunts or uncles of children who have either used our hospital's services or who might use them in the future.

Apply to Join the Family Advisory Council

Nominate Someone for the Family Advisory Council

Mission Statement and Goals

In a Child- and Family-Centered Care environment, it is imperative that parents be integrally involved in processes throughout Children's Hospital. The Family Advisory Council will bridge the gap between families and staff to improve the health of children by providing input and influence with regard to policies, programs and practices affecting the delivery of care and services in a child- and family-centered environment.

The Family Advisory Council has selected four broad goals that will serve to focus and shape specific actions:

• To respond to hospital departmental requests for assistance and/or advice.
• To provide outreach and education to the parent community and to the staff and provider community of the hospital. The education component includes both the education of the advisory council as well as educational efforts provided by the advisory council.
• To provide input regarding facility planning and development.
• To serve as a clearinghouse and provide oversight for the other family committees and councils related to the hospital and its services to ensure the continuity of child- and family-centered care and preventing duplication of efforts.

In the eleven years following the first meeting, where family members identified areas of concern as well as giving praise for what Children's Hospital does right, the council has been an integral part of the hospital. In their monthly meetings, the council has offered suggestions and advice on the following matters:

• Patient Portals
• Website Design
• ER Design and Expansion
• Moving to a non-smoking facility
• The family-activated safety team (FAST)
• The creation of a separate NAS NICU unit
• Patient and family education
• Inpatient design
• Playrooms
• Family kitchen/waiting area

Current Council Members

The council is composed of parents of former, current and future patients of Children's Hospital who have been asked to be a part of the council for at least two years.

• Brandy Nelson (Chair)
• Katie Baer
• Bethany Crabtree
• John Fellers
• Danielle Garceau
• Heather Goodwin
• Candace Gossett
• Melissa Halter
• Kelley Hicks
• Meredith Hunter
• Chelsey Johnson
• Sarah Kurtz
• Anitra Littlejohn
• Lisa Moss
• Andrea Rocha
• Beth Weissfeld
• Meg Wohlford
• Matt Zalucki

Children's Hospital Representatives

• Matthew Schaefer
  Children's Hospital President/CEO
• Carrie Grant
  Vice President for Patient Care Services/Chief Nursing Officer
• Megan Debolt, CCLS
  Patient Experience and Child Life Manager