The 2020 PFAC Annual Report described the building and opening of Suburban’s Patient and Family Resource Center in the hospital’s new North Building. The intent of the Resource Center is to serve as a central location for patients, families and community members to obtain information on wellness, diseases, nutrition and other health-related issues from an array of sources, including Suburban and Johns Hopkins Medicine. The Resource Center is to be staffed by PFAs and other Suburban volunteers. All plans were put on hold, however, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of the Resource Center within weeks of its opening in February 2020.

Fortunately, the center, which earlier in the pandemic provided a central location for staff members to receive donated meals, was put to its intended use in support of the on-site community vaccination clinic Suburban opened in early 2021. Given the large demand for vaccinations, an initial limited supply, and a good deal of conflicting advice as to who, where and when people could get vaccinated, the need for the dissemination of accurate information became clear. Beginning in January 2021, PFAs, along with staff members from Suburban’s Community Health and Wellness team and the Suburban Foundation, staffed a phone bank to provide accurate vaccination information to the community. (See “2021 Patient- and Family-Centered Care Leadership Award” to learn how Suburban’s staff provided vaccines and COVID testing to thousands of Maryland residents.) Over the ensuing several months, the team fielded more than 1,900 phone calls. Community members expressed their appreciation for the accurate, easy-to-access information provided by the phone bank. Callers also commended the efficiency and kindness of the Suburban staff members who provided the vaccines.

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