Patient, Family and Caregiver Network (PFAC)
Your voice matters, and your experience can help improve care.
The Ottawa Valley Ontario Health Team’s Patient, Family and Caregiver Network (PFAC) brings together people who have used local healthcare services, whether as patients, family members, or caregivers. PFAC members work alongside healthcare partners to help improve how care is planned and delivered across the Ottawa Valley.
What is PFAC?
PFAC is a group of patients, family members, and caregivers who share their experiences to help guide the work of the Ottawa Valley Ontario Health Team. Members provide input on what matters most when people are trying to access care, from family doctors and hospital services to mental health support, home care, and community programs.
By hearing directly from people in the community, we can make services easier to understand, better connected, and more responsive to local needs.
Workshops
See upcoming PFaC workshops with dates, locations, and registration links.
What PFAC does
Share real experiences
PFAC members bring their experience to the table. By sharing what went well and what could have gone better, members help highlight gaps and opportunities across primary care, hospital services, long term care, mental health and addictions, and home and community supports.
Help shape priorities
Members take part in meetings, working groups, and feedback sessions so decisions reflect the needs of the people who use the system every day. PFAC input supports OVOHT planning, communications, and new initiatives.
Make care easier to navigate
Healthcare can feel complicated. PFAC helps identify where people get stuck or feel unsure, and supports clearer communication and better connections to local resources like Ottawa Valley Health Connect, RC VTAC, Ontario Health at Home, and other community services.
Why volunteer with PFAC?
Make a difference close to home
What you share can help improve care for your family, neighbours, and community. Your feedback can influence how services are organized, how information is shared, and how support is delivered.
Your experience can help others
Everyone’s healthcare journey is different. By sharing yours, you can help the system respond better to real life situations and help others feel understood.
Be heard and included
PFAC members are part of the conversation, not just observers. Your perspective is welcomed, respected, and used to shape projects and priorities.
Who can join PFAC?
You do not need a healthcare background to join. We are looking for people who:
- Have experience as a patient, family member, or caregiver in the Ottawa Valley area
- Are willing to share their perspective in a respectful and confidential setting
- Want to help improve healthcare for others
- Are open to listening to different viewpoints and working as part of a team
You can contribute in different ways, such as attending meetings, reviewing materials, joining working groups, or taking part in community conversations. All voices are welcome, including young adults and caregivers of children or older adults.
How to get involved
Getting started is simple:
- Fill out our short interest form.
- Tell us a bit about your experience as a patient, family member, or caregiver.
- We will follow up to talk about next steps, current opportunities, and how you would like to be involved.
Our commitment to the Patient, Family and Caregiver Declaration of Values
The Ottawa Valley Ontario Health Team is committed to the Patient, Family and Caregiver Declaration of Values for Ontario. These values reflect what patients, families, and caregivers should be able to expect from the healthcare system, and they guide PFAC’s work.
- Respect and dignity
- Empathy and compassion
- Accountability
- Transparency
- Equity and engagement