Member Advisory Council
Who We Are
Member Advisory Councils are made up of Kaiser Permanente members who volunteer their time to engage with senior staff to share their experience and perspective about the care and service delivered in our medical centers, and to improve the quality and service delivery for members, patients and visitors.
The MAC includes 8 – 10 community members and 5 – 6 Steering Committee members. Community members who represent and reflect Kaiser-San Leandro and Fremont membership.
We have established Member Advisory Councils in our Fremont and San Leandro Medical Centers as part of our Patient and Family Centered Care program. The councils meet monthly and may attend staff meetings to listen and learn.
Our Mission
The goal of Patient and Family Centered Care is to create true partnerships between patients, families and health care practitioners that will lead to better outcomes and enhance the overall care experience.
The Member Advisory Council (MAC) exists to:
- Integrate Patient and Family Centered Care (PFCC) principles and practices into the care experience for members.
- Ensure care is designed with the patient and family in the center.
- Ensure care is responsive to patient/member’s needs, priorities, goals and values.
The MAC creates an integrated model where patients/members serve as advisors to enhance quality and safety, redesign care system, and educate health care professionals and staff on the patient’s care experience and opportunities.
The Four Core Concepts of Patient and Family Centered Care (PFCC)
- Dignity and Respect: Listen to/honor patient/family perspectives and choices. Patient/family knowledge, values, linguistic and cultural backgrounds incorporated into planning and care, e.g., communication skills (A.I.D.E.T.), culturally appropriate care, health literacy, calling patient by preferred name.
- Information Sharing: Communicate and share complete/unbiased information with members/patients and families in ways that are affirming and useful. Patients and families receive timely, complete, and accurate information to effectively participate in care and decision-making, e.g., access to medical records, shared decision making, resource library, rounding, care boards.
- Participation: Patients and families are encouraged and supported in participating in care and decision-making at the level they choose. It is no longer about the paternalistic approach of doing things to and for patients, but doing things with them, e.g., multidisciplinary rounding at the bedside, eliminating visiting hours—as families are no longer seen as “visitors” but as key members of the healthcare team who provide love and summon hope.
- Collaboration: Patients and families are included on an organization-wide basis. Health care leaders and teams collaborate with patients and families in policy and program development, implementation and evaluation, health care facility design, and professional education, as well as in the delivery of care. Patients and families serve as Advisors to the organization, resources for other patients/families and as faculty for staff/provider education.
How often do we meet?
The councils meet monthly and may attend staff meetings to listen and learn.
Members also attend Quality Council meetings and may participate in other committees, councils and forums. This is designed to incorporate the “voice of the member.”
The councils tackle small and large opportunities such as creating educational brochures for patients, improving reception areas and encouraging patients to sign Advanced Directives (end of life medical decisions).
Length of MAC Community Member Commitment
MAC community members will serve for a minimum of two years with terms staggered to ensure continuity. We are currently seeking patient volunteers to participate on our Member Advisory Council (MAC).
If you are interested in participating, please contact:
San Leandro: (510) 454-4313
Fremont: (510) 454-4310
For questions, feedback or special requests, please send an email to Nicole.M.Rodrigues@kp.org (San Leandro) or Tami.Radach@kp.org (Fremont).
