Leveraging PFACs to Strengthen Emergency Department Care
Published May 28, 2026
This webinar will describe how Mount Sinai’s Department of Emergency Medicine conceived, launched, and sustained a system-wide, Emergency Department–focused Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC). We will explore how the PFAC’s work moved beyond the traditional “PX silo” to influence ED operations, quality, research, digital tool development, and medical education. The session will highlight the key building blocks that supported the PFAC’s growth and the department’s increasing recognition of the council as an invaluable resource. Participants will gain an understanding of the resources and preparation needed to build and sustain an advisory council within one of the most challenging areas of hospital patient experience.
Speakers:
-Dumond Austin, MBA | Associate Director of Project Management, Mount Sinai Health System
-Deborah Dean, MD | Medical Director, Mount Sinai Brooklyn; MSHS Emergency Medicine Vice Chair; Quality, Safety and Patient Experience; Associate Professor, Emergency Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
-Ellen Dupont, RN, MPH | Director, Quality, Safety, Patient Experience, Emergency Medicine, Mount Sinai Health System
Learning Objectives
-Explain the process for creating and sustaining an EDPFAC, highlighting key steps to build a strong foundation for a successful council from concept to maturity.
-Describe how operations, quality/safety, staff engagement, and patient experience intersect and influence one another within the Emergency Department setting.
-Identify strategies to engage multi-disciplinary colleagues and increase departmental involvement in PX initiatives.
Non-members can purchase webinars at a cost of $49 each.
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