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Plus new resources and insights inside this issue

 

Issue 198 | October 2026

 

Breaking News...

The Board of Directors of the Institute for Patient- and Family-Centered Care is thrilled to announce that Julie Ginn Moretz, MPH, has been selected as the incoming IPFCC President and Chief Executive Officer. She will assume this role in late January 2027.

 

Julie brings more than three decades of experience as a family leader, healthcare executive, and nationally recognized champion for patient- and family-centered care.

 

Julie's passion for patient- and family-centered care was fueled by her personal journey as the mother of a child with congenital heart disease. Her youngest son, Daniel, underwent multiple heart surgeries and a heart transplant, and inspired her lifelong commitment to ensuring that patients and families are essential partners in care.

 

Her professional journey began at the Medical College of Georgia (MCG) in Augusta, GA, a national pioneer in patient- and family-centered care, where she served as the first Chair of its Patient/Family Advisory Council before transitioning into healthcare leadership. Following 11 years as a hospital director, Julie joined IPFCC as a Director, planning its seminars and international conferences for nearly seven years. She then became Associate Vice Chancellor for Patient- and Family-Centered Care at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) where she led the development of patient- and family-centered clinical and academic programs.

 

Julie currently serves as Executive Director, Center for Patients and Families at Wellstar MCG Health. She champions patient- and family-centered practices and integrates patient and family voices into organizational strategy, quality and safety, and the overall healthcare experience.

 

A longtime member of IPFCC's national faculty, Julie has also served on numerous national boards and advisory groups, including the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) and the Association of Departments of Family Medicine (ADFM), where she was the first public, non-physician board member. Her contributions have been recognized with numerous honors, including the Women of Excellence in Healthcare Award, Make A Difference Award by the Healthcare Industry Access Initiative in DC, and the American Heart Association's Lifetime Achievement Award. Her family’s story and PFCC journey were featured in the PBS documentary, Remaking American Medicine, which highlighted MCG’s pioneering efforts in this field. Julie founded the Children's Heart Program volunteer council, supporting children with heart disease and their families for 25 years.

 

She holds a Master of Public Health degree from the George Washington University and received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2024.

 

As IPFCC President and CEO, Julie will bring a unique combination of lived experience, operational expertise, and national leadership. She looks forward to building upon IPFCC's extraordinary legacy, working alongside its dedicated team and partners to advance patient- and family-centered care as a fundamental approach to how health care is designed, delivered, and continuously improved.

IPFCC Events

 

Earlier this month, IPFCC launched the six-month webinar series, “Reflecting Our Community and Building Authentic Partnerships.” All of the webinars are recorded and available . Information below provides the dates and topics for each webinar.

This webinar series is based on the Reflecting Our Community: A Toolkit for Strengthening PFACs, that was used by an IPFCC-led learning community of 27 children’s hospitals over nine months. The toolkit is relevant to all type of hospitals and health systems and all ages of patients.

Opportunities and Resources

IPFCC Website Profiles in Change Features Wellstar MCG Health’s Exemplary Commitment to PFCC

 

Wellstar MCG Health’s longstanding commitment to patient- and family-centered care is featured in IPFCC website’s section. Visit this profile and learn about its annual PFCC educational program and recognition of PFCC excellence in leaders, clinicians, staff, and patient and family advisors.

 

Elevating the Patient Voice: Building Partnerships in Care

 

This AHA Podcast features a conversation with Caroline DeLongchamps, Director of Patient- and Family-Centered Care, MUSC Health, Charleston, SC; and Kristin Preihs, Vice President of Strategy & Operations, Health Research & Educational Trust and the American Hospital Association. They discuss Caroline’s personal story and how patient- and family-centered care can improve quality, strengthen trust, and transform the design and delivery of health care across both urban and rural settings.

I-Pass Patient Safety Institute

 

The I-Pass Patient Safety Institute’s purpose is to eliminate medical errors and patient harm caused by communication breakdowns during hospital patient handoffs and care transitions. Henry Ford Health in Michigan is implementing the I-PASS methodology for structured handoff communication across its 11 acute care hospitals. The health system previously piloted the I-PASS methodology at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit where consistent use of bedside shift report supported by I-PASS significantly improved patient safety outcomes.

 

The Kentucky Hospital Association is the first state hospital association to adopt I-PASS at scale, launching a statewide effort to standardize handoff communication across member hospitals.

 

For Pinwheel Pages readers: Is the hospital or health system where you work or receive care conducting bedside interdisciplinary rounds and bedside nurse change of shift report with the patient, family, or care partner? These are key safety strategies and PFCC best practices. IPFCC resources for rounds improvement for both adult and pediatric settings and relevant references are available . IPFCC is currently collecting resources on bedside shift report. Please send information about efforts to implement and evaluate bedside nurse change of shift and/or rounds to: .

National Partnership for Women and Families

 

A recent issue of the National Partnership’s Health Justice Newsletter describes activities to celebrate Latine and Hispanic Heritage Month. The organization recently published Listening to the Experiences of Latina Mothers, which shares results from the Listening to Mothers IV survey. This survey collected responses directly from Latina mothers regarding pregnancy, childbirth, and the care they received.

Healthcare Excellence Canada Publishes 2025–26 Impact Report

 

The Healthcare Excellence Canada 2025–26 Impact Report, Forward Together, describes the progress toward safe, high-quality care, and the people and collective efforts driving it. This report is relevant and inspiring for Canadians, but also contains valuable information for individuals and organizations in other countries dedicated to partnering with people with lived experience as a core strategy to improve the quality and safety of care.

 

Annual Reports for PFCC and PFAC & PFA Programs

 

Having an annual report that highlights PFCC as foundational to organizational culture and describes both the work and the outcomes of the work of a PFAC and PFA Program is important to success and sustainability.

 

Read the Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center Patient & Family Advisory Council Annual Report FY2026 .

 

Please share your current PFAC and PFA Program annual reports with IPFCC so we can share with others:

 

Events

Planetree Celebrates October as Person-Centered Care Month

 

To celebrate Person-Centered Care Month, Planetree has planned a free, recorded series of webinars. The third webinar, being held October 27 at 3:30 PM EDT, is focused on how healthcare can better support caregivers and families.

The Urgency of NOW: Lived and Living Experience: The “Secret Sauce” as We Expand the

Workforce Tent

 

The National Federation of Families is facilitating a five-part series of webinars to address the troubling increase in calls for institutionalization for children and youth with serious mental health concerns. Most of the webinars have been recorded. The most recent webinar that aired in September, discusses how expanding the workforce tent to include many forms of family peer support can strengthen families and communities.

2026 IPFCC PINWHEEL SPONSORSHIP

 

Be a Catalyst for Change: Become a Pinwheel Sponsor Today

 

Your contribution as a Pinwheel Sponsor does more than support an organization—it powers the transformation of healthcare. By investing in IPFCC, you directly fuel the development and sustainability of essential partnerships with patients and families.

 

IPFCC’s Pinwheel Sponsors meet quarterly in a virtual Pinwheel Sponsors Leadership Forum to share emerging best practices and approaches to resolving challenges as well as to create opportunities for collaboration among PFCC leaders.

 

Your support demonstrates an unwavering commitment to patient- and family-centered care on a global stage, providing your organization with valuable national and international visibility. Join us in elevating the voices that matter most and leave a lasting, profound impact on the health care community. Donate today to lead the change.

 

Thank you to our sponsors!

PFCC.Connect

University Health

Kaiser Permanente

 

Health System

Vanderbilt University Medical Center

 

Hospital/Organization

Akron Children’s Hospital

American College of Radiology

Children’s Mercy Kansas City

Children’s Specialized Hospital

IWK Health

Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center

MHA Keystone Center

Moffitt Cancer Center

Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare

Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre

University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital

University of New Mexico Children’s Hospital

University of Miami Health System

Wellstar MCG

Institute for Patient- and Family-Centered Care

PO BOX 6397

McLean, VA 22106-9998

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