Family Advisory Council

The Family Advisory Council (FAC) at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals in San Francisco and Oakland acts as a consultant to the hospital. The council at each location is made up of families that partner with staff and clinicians to provide advice on various hospital-related topics, from policy changes and communication to designing a healing environment and parents' perspectives on clinical care. Its overall purpose is to improve the quality of patient and family care.

Family members represent various units, diagnoses and types of admissions. We value the opinions and suggestions of families, as well as the unique knowledge, skills and experience they bring to caring for children. All council concerns and recommendations are reported to the hospital administration.

In addition to the main councils, there's a Youth Advisory Council, a council for the Intensive Care Nursery, and other FAC groups and activities.

Youth Advisory Council

This council was established in 2013 as a platform for teenagers and young adults on both sides of the Bay to share their voices and collaborate with the interdisciplinary team, strengthening the partnership among patients, families, medical teams and the community. It includes young people from the Oakland and San Francisco campuses of our children’s hospitals.

The YAC empowers teens and young adults to take on a more active role in their care, facilitates peer-to-peer support, serves in an advisory capacity to hospital leadership, and partners with staff to improve the quality and safety of care. It’s made up of 18 patients from diverse backgrounds – ranging in age from young teenagers to adults in their early 20s, with varying diagnoses and experiences – as well as child life and nursing staff.

Intensive Care Nursery FAC

This specialized FAC in San Francisco provides opportunities for partnership between families and hospital staff, and represents the family voice in quality and safe care improvement efforts for patients in the intensive care nursery. It involves a diverse group of parents whose children have a variety of diagnoses and reasons for admission to the ICN.

In addition to working on various projects, the ICN council sponsors and hosts an annual reunion for families.

Other FAC groups and activities (San Francisco)

Family Partners

Selected FAC members participate in short-term groups or standing committees to offer family perspectives on hospital care.

Family Faculty Program

Trained parents use their experiences and knowledge to educate and inform health care professionals on a variety of patient and family care topics.

Caring Tree Awards

The Caring Tree Awards program gives families a meaningful way to honor and express gratitude to their caregivers. These awards celebrate staff members who have shown an outstanding commitment to family-centered care.