Meet the PFCC Team – Patient Family Advisor

We connected with Abbey, Patient Family Advisor at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, to learn more about her role and how she supports Patient and Family Centred Care at our Hospital.

Please tell us how you became a Patient Family Advisor (PFA) at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and what you do in your role as a PFA. 

My name is Abbey Hunter, I am a Master of Public Health student at Lakehead University and I have been a Patient Family Advisor (PFA) for over five years.

At 17 years old, I was sent by air ambulance to southern Ontario, and subsequently diagnosed with lupus. After this, I wrote a letter to Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) about my health care experience and how I felt young people are often negatively perceived when seeking care for chronic disease in Northwestern Ontario. Following this, I volunteered as a PFA, joining multiple committees and bringing a younger voice to areas such as Paediatrics, Emergency Medicine, Telemedicine and Centre for Complex Diabetes Care (CCDC).

I have since become involved regionally and provincially as a PFA. In 2023, I became a part of the Patient Family Advisory Councils (PFAC) of the Noojmawing Sookatagaing (Healing Working Together) Ontario Health Team for Thunder Bay. I also was the co-coordinator for the first ever Walk for Lupus Thunder Bay. We raised over $21,000 to train another professional to support those living with rheumatic diseases in the North. Most recently, I was one of 13 people from Ontario appointed to the Ministry of Health’s PFAC. These opportunities have all stemmed from my beginnings as a PFA at TBRHSC.

There are a variety of opportunities available to me in my role as a PFA. The Patient and Family Centred Care (PFCC) team enables PFAs to choose projects that are important to them and suit their backgrounds and experiences.

A typical week as a PFA varies. As a PFA, I have participated in steering committees, Accreditation, I share my story with health care professionals, and collaborate with other PFAs. Most recently I have worked on the Insulin Pen Steering Committee with amazing individuals from the CCDC. Their work and passion for diabetes care in Northwestern Ontario is motivating and infectious. On this committee, I brought forward my perspective and supported with reviewing patient materials to this project.

The role of PFAs is important in keeping patients at the center of everything we do. Under Strategic Plan 2026, TBRHSC’s values are Diversity, Compassion, Excellence, Innovation, and Accountability. Through collaboration, all of these values can be upheld in our Hospital. As a young person who has now sat at tables with professionals, I have felt that with the inclusion of diverse patient voices, compassion can be reinforced in Hospital decision making. The true impact of PFAs can be seen through the whiteboards in patient rooms or the practice of NOD (name, occupation, duty). PFA-led initiatives have reinforced Patient & Family Centred Care Core Competencies such as Dignity & Respect for ALL patients when in Hospital, keeping patient family centred care at the forefront.

Find out more about Patient and Family Centred Care at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre or learn more about becoming a PFA.