What happens when you pass the microphone to those with lived experience? You hear the real story of what matters most to those who receive our care. Because you can’t improve care without listening to what the people affected by it say — whether it’s as individuals, families or communities.
At this year’s Quality Forum, we asked two patient partners to lead a focus session where they would share their insights about how best to involve patients in the work of making BC’s health care system the best it can be.
Turning Patient Engagement into a Collaborative Hit
Patient Voices Network (PVN) patient partners Hugh Alley and Sandy Ketler brought a creative twist to their session, Effective Patient Engagement: Harmony like the ‘Beatles’ Without ‘Blood, Sweat & Tears.’ Using a song lyric-driven approach, they engaged participants in a lively, insightful discussion on patient engagement.
Hugh reflected, “As patient partners, Sandy and I have each been involved in a lot of engagements. Sometimes it’s been great; sometimes the experience has been frustrating. We hoped that sharing some insights from our experiences might increase the chance of more effective patient involvement.”
Sandy added, “Having the opportunity to focus on a few of the tricky steps in patient engagement was fantastic. We were able to highlight how to navigate these steps and also gathered strategies and actions from everyone in the room.”
Composing Meaningful Engagement—One Note at a Time
Through a unique blend of information sharing and conversation, Sandy and Hugh emphasized these three essential elements of patient engagement:
- Connection Before Content – Engagement is relational. Build relationships first, before diving into the work.
- Respect – Health care partners must clearly define the role of patient partners, ensuring their input influences decision-making. Make space for meaningful conversations.
- Close the Loop – Keep patient partners informed about outcomes. Ensure they understand how their contributions have made a difference.
Respect in Action: What Participants Said Matters Most
Participants shared their own insights, identifying key actions they could take to demonstrate respect. Three themes emerged:
- Listen with curiosity
- Be inclusive
- Make time for meaningful conversations
“Throughout our session communication was noted as a key action,” said Sandy. “The importance of connection before content, creation of relationships, and the need for ongoing conversations.”
Hugh noted, “We loved that so many of the participants came up with similar suggestions. I came away thinking they’d really heard our comments about how important it is for patient partners to feel respected. Their responses illustrated that it isn’t terribly complicated. It just takes intent and attention.”
Resource Spotlight: Discover how to authentically engage patients, family members and caregivers in health care decisions to enhance the quality of care for everyone. The Guide to Authentic Patient Engagement provides a variety of resources to support your team, no matter where you are in your patient engagement journey.
Working Together for Wellness: Health and Local Government in Partnership
Improving health care goes far beyond hospital doors. A high-quality, sustainable health system reaches into every corner of the community — from care homes and primary care clinics to public health units — and local government leaders are key partners in that collective effort.
At another QF25 session, For the Collective Good: How Local Governments & Health Care
Organizations Can Chart a Path Paved With Promise for Health Care in BC, Health Quality BC’s Jami Brown and Port Moody City Councillor Amy Lubik shared insights and encouraged health care teams to forge stronger partnerships for the collective good.
Turning Shared Priorities into Local Action
Both health care leaders and local government officials are demonstrating strong interest in collaboration. Amy highlighted promising initiatives—such as housing supports and social prescribing—illustrating how these partnerships are already making a difference. By identifying alignment points, participants explored opportunities for collaboration in their own communities.
It’s no surprise that Connection before Content was a key takeaway from both of these Quality Forum 2025 sessions. Relationship building is foundational to successful engagement efforts – you need to know what’s important to people before you can work collaboratively to improve care.
Six Ways to Strengthen Health and Local Government Partnerships
Success in building partnerships requires an early and proactive approach. Here are six key takeaways for those working in health care from their conversation:
- Do your homework – Take the time to understand local government priorities and identify who is responsible for what.
- Find common ground – Align your work with shared interests and goals. Seek areas where you can work together.
- Connection before content – Make relationship building a priority before you talk business.
- Ask what matters to local governments – Be curious. Ask questions. Learn as much as you can and remain flexible in your approach.
- Build alliances – Understand what your organization is already doing with local government. Coordinate and build on existing efforts.
- Start small – What one thing can you do today? Build momentum from there.
Now It’s Your Turn: Build the Partnerships That Matter
By asking, listening, and working together, we can create healthier, more vibrant communities with better care for all. Be part of the movement—subscribe to the Improving Health Quality Together newsletter and stay connected to stories, strategies, and opportunities that strengthen partnerships across BC.
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