Family Forum

The Family Forum at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh is a group of individuals who partner with staff members and hospital leadership to help improve the experiences children and families have during their time at Children's Hospital. Family Forum members are deeply involved in activities at Children's that advance patient- and family-centered care. Organized into three major subcommittees, the Forum members serve on one of the following subcommittees:

• Family Resource Center Committee: This group organizes and holds regularly scheduled and special events to educate, entertain, and support families of patients at Children's.
• Communications Committee: This group has organized a family faculty comprised of family members who develop their personal experiences into educational presentations. These presentations help teach family -centered care principles through real life experiences of our patient families. 
• Parent Education Committee: The committee is involved in developing and providing information key to successfully negotiating the health care environment for their children. Projects include website development and parent-to-parent newsletter.

Who can serve on the Family Forum?

Parents, guardians, and adult primary caregivers of children who receive care at any of Children’s Hospital's locations are eligible to serve on the Family Forum. Adults who received care for a long-term or chronic condition as children at Children's also may apply.

The mission of Children’s Family Forum is to partner with hospital administration, faculty, and staff to bring the voice and perspective of parents and families to the hospital experience. Members of the Family Forum work to promote the practice of family-centered care, advocating for children and their families to be full partners in their medical care, and to help with the hospital's ongoing commitment to improve quality and patient safety at Children’s Hospital.

Family Forum members hold community member seats on hospital standing committees, including:

• Condition Help Steering Committee
• Ethics Committee
• Infectious Disease Committee
• Patient Safety Oversight Committee

Join the Family Forum

There is a new version of the Family Forum in the works. To learn more, email the Patient Relations office at PatientRep@CHP.edu.