At The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, we strive to provide the highest levels of patient and family satisfaction. The Youth Advisory Council is an initiative to involve children and teenagers in the feedback and planning that is so important to our network's continuous improvement. Who knows better how it feels to be a patient at Children's Hospital than the children we serve?

Our 25-member Youth Advisory Council helps us think about what it means to be kid-friendly, and they guide us in creating an environment that is responsive to children. The Council, which meets monthly, is comprised of patients and their siblings who are ten to 18 years of age. Members complete special projects, advise us as we plan for new facilities and redesigned spaces and work with us to create better programs to help kids cope with hospitalization.

Mission Statement
The Youth Advisory Council provides the perspective of youths throughout the hospital enterprise to improve communication and the quality of care provided.

Architectural Consultation: provided feedback to administrators on the renovation of the first floor of Children's Seashore House; the redesign of the Wood Building's outpatient waiting area and the new patient tower and hospital facade.

Socialization Programs: planned and implemented monthly Teen Nights for adolescent inpatients, host bi-annual parties for inpatients of all ages.

Food Services: met with department staff to provide menu suggestions and assisted department with quarterly patient satisfaction surveys. As a result of the Council's work, patients now have more dining options.

Educational Resources:created list of books, movies and magazines of interest to teens for the Connelly Center Library. Provide feedback to Hospital staff on health prevention measures.

Daily Hospital Life: working with the Director of Linen Services to make changes in the look and feel of Hospital pajamas.

To contact the Youth Advisory Council, e-mail YAC@email.chop.edu.