Family Voices of Minnesota works with health care    clinics to help them determine their level of implementing patient-and-family-centered care and provides technical assistance to make improvements.

Family Voices of Minnesota staff has a combined 60 years of experience in patient-and-family-centered care. 

Family Voices staff conducts training and presentations for health professionals and consumers/families about patient-and-family-centered care.

What is patient/family-centered health care?

Patient-and-family-centered care assures the health and well-being of children and their families through a respectful family-professional partnership.

It honors the strengths, cultures, traditions and expertise that everyone brings to this relationship. Family-Centered Care is the standard of practice which results in high quality services.

The foundation of family-centered care is the partnership between families and professionals. Key to this partnership are the following principles:

  • Families and professionals work together in the best interest of the child and the family. As the child grows, s/he assumes a partnership role.
  •  Everyone respects the skills and expertise brought to the relationship.
  • Trust is acknowledged as fundamental.
  • Communication and information sharing are open and objective.
  • Participants make decisions together.
  • There is a willingness to negotiate. 

 How can you use your expertise? 

Participate in a patient/family advisory committee at the clinic or hospital that you use frequently.  If they don't have patient/family advisory committees - help them start one.

Family-Centered Care Tools

The Institute for Family-Centered Care offers many resources, tools and information about patient/family-centered care:  www.familycenteredcare.org.