Children’s Mercy Kansas City is a comprehensive pediatric medical center, serving patients from birth to age 21. As a recognized leader in patient- and family- centered care, Children’s Mercy established the Family Advisory Board (FAB) in 2003 to compliment the Teen Advisory Board that was started in 1999. The membership of FAB consists of 21 parents and primary caregivers of patients who have received care at Children’s Mercy and 10 key staff leaders.
The Role of the Family Advisory Board
The FAB collaborates with hospital leadership to ensure that the highest level of quality, safety and experience of care is provided to every patient and family. The FAB serves as the oversight group for the 21 Patient Family Advisory Councils (PFACs) at Children’s Mercy.
The goals of FAB are:
- to promote and support the mission, programs, services, and initiatives at Children’s Mercy;
- to represent the experience of members and the voice of the community to drive a patient- and family- centered culture that involves a collaborative partnership among patients, families, leadership, and staff; and
- to actively engage with staff and leadership as partners on strategic projects, improvement initiatives, and daily efforts of the hospital.
The FAB Annual Meeting
As Children’s Mercy began to expand the number of PFACs, FAB started hosting an annual meeting in 2008 to showcase the accomplishments and highlights of each group. The outcomes presented are compiled into an Annual Report.
The 2025 annual meeting was held on April 1st in the hospital’s auditorium. Over 200 PFAC family and staff members were invited to attend in person or virtually. Additionally, all hospital employees were extended the invitation to learn more about how Children’s Mercy collaborates with members of FAB and the PFACs.
Two special guests, the Chair of the Board of Directors and the President and CEO opened the meeting with messages of appreciation for the volunteers.
Diane Gallagher, Chair of the Board of Directors, stated, “On behalf of all of our directors, we want to thank you, not only for your insights, your perspectives and your feedback that you give to all of our staff, but also to recognize our tremendous gratitude that you are giving of your time while you are also managing the care of a child with a health issue. That is not lost on anyone who's been in that circumstance. It really does mean a tremendous amount to all of us that you are so gracious and generous with your time.”
Dr. Alejandra Quiroga, the new President and CEO of Children’s Mercy said of the established parent advisors, “It reassures me tremendously to see how you are embedded in everything that we're doing. We're here for your kids. We're here for the kids of the community, and you need to help us get better. And I know that's why you're here.”
The agenda included a video showcasing the PFAC accomplishments, two panel discussions, and three short podium presentations designed to inspire the PFACs and educate staff about on the importance of collaborating with PFACs.
The annual meeting provides an opportunity for networking among all the PFA members of the hospital’s PFACs and helps in building relationships among PFAs and staff.
Further information about Children’s Mercy Kansas City’s commitment to PFCC and its PFAC and PFA Program, see their profile. Information about its annual PFAC Leader Workshop can be found here.