What We Look For in Partners - Patient and Family Partners

General Criteria for all Partners: 

• Be positive and supportive of the IWK Health Centre mission, vision and values.
• Respect the collaborative process and the committee as the forum to discuss issues.
• Be able to listen and reflect on issues and priorities that are different than your own.
• Be comfortable speaking in a group environment.
• Be able to fulfill the time commitment and work towards achieving Committee initiatives.
• To participate as a Patient/Family Partners and full Committee member if chosen.
• To provide patient and family perspective and be fully involved in the committee’s decision making processes.
• Commitment to attend meetings if necessary. (Web or Conference call options available)
• To participate in educational opportunities for staff and Patient/Family Partners as time and/or interest allow.
• Be willing to register as a Patient/Family Partner through our Volunteer Resource Department which includes criminal background and child abuse registry checks (reimbursed to you), and possibly an immunization.
• To be aware of IWK policies and procedures that apply to this work and to work in unity with them, including confidentiality.
• Commit to read documents in preparation for meetings (if necessary) and to respond to email in a timely manner.

All backgrounds and experiences

We are looking for Patient and Family Partners from all backgrounds, age groups, and experiences. Parents, guardians, current patients, former patients, siblings, grandparents, partners, sons, daughters, and other support persons. All your voices are important and needed.

Further, our belief is that IWK Patient and Family Partners should reflect the cultural and social diversity of the patients and families who use IWK care and services each and every day. Diversity can be ethnic, racial, spiritual, economic, educational, geographic, gender, sexual orientation, unique family structure, disability-related, chronic illness, single parent, full-time parent, etc.

We fully welcome and encourage patients and families from all backgrounds and experiences to consider becoming a Partner.