Vidant employee given Administrative Leader Patient and Family Advisor Champion Award by NC Hospital Association | Eastern North Carolina Now

    GREENVILLE     Kathy Dutton, senior administrator for the office of patient and family experience at Vidant Medical Center (VMC), was recently given the Administrative Leader Patient and Family Advisor (PFA) Champion Award by the North Carolina Quality Center (NCQC), an initiative of the North Carolina Hospital Association.

    The NCQC created a group of awards to recognize the work being done in North Carolina hospitals and health systems to improve the patient experience and patient safety. The PFA Champion award recognizes a person who partners with patients and families in order to make decisions and move the PFA program forward, addresses obstacles that restrict or prohibit PFA involvement and inspires and supports others.

    Dutton's personal experience with a cancer battle 13 years ago brings a perspective to her role that enables her to communicate the importance of the role of the patient and family. She is able to discern those patient/family candidates who are suited for the role and who are not. Dutton's knowledge of the entire system has helped her place PFAs in assignments that maximized their strengths.

    "Kathy is truly an exceptional leader who partners with patients and families in meaningful ways throughout our organization to enhance experience of care," said Teresa Anderson, vice president of quality at Vidant Medical Center. "Over the years, she has actively engaged patients and families in all levels of their care from bedside rounds to shared decision making."

    Throughout her career, Dutton has advocated for more involvement of the PFE program. Whether it has been the use of PFAs in risk/cause analysis, implementing them in physician rounds, expanding PFA storytelling during board and leader meetings, or having PFAs involved in initiatives such as hospital construction and design, Dutton has remained true to her commitment to "have a PFA at every decision making table in the hospital."

• Contact: Amy Holcombe
•     amy.holcombe@vidanthealth.com