Celebrating the 10^th International
"What Matters to You?" Day

“What Matters to You?” Day started in Norway in 2014, with the goal of encouraging meaningful conversations between patients, caregivers, families and their health care providers. A decade later, we now know how powerful this question can be.

When a health care provider starts a conversation by asking what really matters, it helps ensure care is aligned with patient priorities – because knowing what matters supports the right care at the right time, which can improve health outcomes. As you can see, it’s a simple question that can have a big impact on care!

But did you know that patients can also start a “What Matters to You?” conversation? The next time you meet with your health care provider, take a moment to ensure they know what is most important to you in your care:

1. Prepare for the question: use self-reflection to figure out what you would like to say
2. Share what matters: your goals, hopes and stories
3. Partner for action: discuss your treatment options and what you value in relation to your care

On June 6, join us in celebrating the 10^th International “What Matters to You?” Day. There are many ways you can participate:

• Take part in a one-person challenge: Either ask one person “What Matters to You?” or share information about the movement with one person and then let us know what happened as a result of this conversation
• Share your own “What Matters to You?" story
• Use #WMTY on social media to join the conversation

Spreading ideas and stories of empathy, compassion, innovation and creativity inspires others and demonstrates the impact of “What Matters to You?” for patients, families, caregivers and health care providers.

To help you with these conversations, we have many resources available to download and order from the Council website.

Find Out More

National Volunteer Week 2023:
"Volunteering Weaves Us Together"

Last week was National Volunteer Week, but at the Council we believe every week is an opportunity to celebrate our awesome volunteers. That means we are celebrating you, our PVN Patient Partners!

The theme of this year’s volunteer week was “Volunteering Weaves Us Together” – and it’s so true. The perspective, experiences and contributions of every volunteer are like threads in a weaving – the more you have, the stronger it is.

At PVN, we have a strong and vibrant community of over 1,200 volunteers who are full of energy and passion to improve health care in BC. PVN patient partners build relationships and trust with health care partners and, by creating this “connection,” make a huge impact in improving the quality and safety of health care for all. In 2022-23 alone, 420 patient partners were actively participating in 143 engagement opportunities across the province. To read more about some of the great work happening you can check out the 2021-2022 Annual Report.

Patient & Public Engagement Director Tammy Hoefer stated that:

“We are lucky to have some of the most incredible volunteers in British Columbia! These are patients, families and caregivers who selflessly share their experiences in health care because of their desire to make it better for everyone. On behalf of the Council, thank you for your dedication and inspiration to others.”

Thank you for your volunteerism!

Caring Unmasked 2: Join Us for the Premiere!

Join us for the premiere screening of "Caring Unmasked 2: From Crisis to Connection - Discovering BC Health Care’s Vulnerable Resurgence" on Wednesday, June 7 from 7:15pm - 8.30pm, during Quality Forum 2023. The screening is free to attend and open to everyone, even if you aren’t attending Quality Forum – simply add your name and email at the link below to register!

At Quality Forum 2022 we premiered Caring Unmasked to honour and bear witness to all we had gone through since 2020. This acknowledgment brought on important reflection and curiosity. Looking back, what has our collective trauma meant and what did we learn? How can we make sense of all this? And, most importantly, how can move forward, together, better than before?

We heard from many of you that the need for stories like this has never been greater. At Quality Forum 2023, and in partnership with SWITCH BC, we are presenting Caring Unmasked 2: From Crisis to Connection – Discovering BC Health Care's Vulnerable Resurgence. We are at a lynchpin moment and the stakes are high, but WE may just be the solution we are looking for. Caring Unmasked 2 hears from those working across our province to discover how we can move forward, together.

Attend the Screening

Upcoming Events to Attend

• Patient Partner Orientation | May 10 | 1:00 – 2:00 PM | Register
• Patient Partner Orientation | May 31 | 6:00 – 7:00 PM | Register