Horizon announces new co-chair of Patient and Family Advisory Council

HORIZON – Horizon Health Network is pleased to welcome Jean Castonguay as co-chair of Horizon’s Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC). The PFAC provides guidance on ways to improve the health care experience for patients, clients and their families. They also contribute to improving the overall quality and safety culture across Horizon.

With representation from different Horizon communities, the PFAC is comprised of 11 patient experience advisors (PEAs) who volunteer their time to partner and share what is important to patients, clients, and families. The committee also includes Horizon staff from different corporate and clinical portfolios. Jean will be co-chairing the committee with Margaret Melanson, Horizon’s Vice President of Quality and Patient Centred Care.

“Jean Castonguay is a welcome addition as co-chair and I look forward to working alongside him to further embed a culture of patient, client and family centred care across our organization,” said Margaret Melanson, VP of Quality and Patient Centered Care. “Horizon is fortunate to have our PFAC members who bring an insightful perspective to important health care discussions. The work they do leads to many improvements that are meaningful to patients/clients and the overall care experience.”

Jean is a resident of Fredericton and has been a PEA with Horizon since September 2019, and a volunteer at Horizon’s Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital (DECRH) since 2017.

The role of PEA became of interest to him as he wanted to share his lived experience as a family member to improve the patient’s experience while receiving care and navigating through the health system.

“After retiring I found myself with more time to give to causes and organizations I believed were doing excellent work”, said Jean Castonguay, the new co-chair of Horizon’s Patient Family Advisory Council. “I found my experience of volunteering at the DECRH to be very rewarding and was excited to learn of the opportunity to volunteer as a Patient Experience Advisor, where I would be able to share a patient and family perspective and work with Horizon staff and physicians to make improvements to the health care experience. I am looking forward to continuing this work and collaborating with council members and the Horizon team.”

As a Horizon PEA, Jean is currently a member of PFAC (2021) and the Health Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Strategic Objective Steering Committee (2021). He has actively engaged and provided consultation with Horizon’s strategic planning process, Excel and Grow as a PFCC Organization Strategic Objective Steering Committee, and the DECRH Space Planning Committee.

Jean continues to volunteer at the DECRH and the Fredericton Public Health Vaccination Clinic. Jean retired in 2012 following a long career with the Government of New Brunswick as a senior leader.

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