We are Niagara Health is a series of stories that celebrates the incredible people working and volunteering in our organization and how they make a difference in the lives of patients and coworkers every day.
Senior Patient Experience & Engagement Specialist, Caroline Campbell, is helping to transform the patient experience at Niagara Health.
For Caroline Campbell, compassion is more than a job requirement, it’s the driving force behind her career.
Since joining Niagara Health in 2017, the Senior Patient Experience & Engagement Specialist has helped champion one simple idea: patients and caregivers deserve a seat at every decision‑making table.
“When I started in Patient Experience it was just me and one other person,” Campbell recalls. “We were mostly reactive and largely focused on complaints.”
Today, her team has evolved – it’s larger, proactive and collaborative.
“We still resolve concerns, but we also manage volunteer resources, lead patient experience initiatives and the Niagara Health Engagement Network (NHEN). We’ve shifted from complaints to connection.
”The NHEN, which connects patients with Niagara Health in an effort to engage hospital users, now includes 75 Patient Partners who co‑design projects across the organization, contribute on hiring panels and share insights from their personal experiences to improve care. Campbell’s goal is not only to grow the network, but to ensure it reflects the diversity of Niagara’s communities.
“To understand Niagara’s needs, our table must reflect Niagara’s diverse communities,” she says. “We’re elevating voices from equity‑deserving groups so everyone is heard in equal measure.”
Campbell was instrumental in the co-design of the Reimagining Patient Experience Plan, dedicated to redefining the patient experience, focusing on enhancing the way patients experience their care journey and empowering them to achieve the best possible health outcomes
Last fall, Campbell and Patient Partner Gail Riihimaki presented their co‑design process of the Reimagining Patient Experience Plan at the Canadian Association for Health Services and Policy Research (CAHSPR) conference. They shared how feedback from 1,100+ patients, caregivers, staff and physicians produced Niagara Health’s first official definition of patient experience and the six‑element plan.
“We couldn’t find another hospital that had done this quite the same way,” she notes. “We carved our own path — co‑design was the key.
“We are extremely proud of our Patient Experience team and the vital work we are doing to transform how patients and their loved ones experience care at Niagara Health,” says Phil Valvasori, Manager of Patient Experience and Volunteer Resources.
“Caroline embodies the values, ethics and passion in her work to bring change to front-line care. Her ability to collaborate and partner with our community through the NHEN as well as our teams and leadership across the organization have been integral in bringing Patient Experience to the forefront of everything we do at Niagara Health.”
Mentorship, meaning and momentum
A lifelong learner, Campbell is pursuing her Certified Patient Experience Professional (CPXP) designation through The Beryl Institute while participating in Niagara Health’s Extraordinary Us mentorship program.
Caroline Campbell and Gail Riihimaki presenting the Re-imagining Patient Experience plan at the CAHSPR conference.
Campbell’s motivation is personal.
“I’ve been a patient here, and my family has too. I want healthcare to be better for everyone in Niagara.”
That commitment shone during the 2023 Accreditation process. Patient Partners not only joined preparation meetings, they met independently with Accreditation Canada surveyors, who later cited Niagara Health’s engagement work as a key strength.
“Watching Patient Partners validate our approach was a proud moment,” says Campbell.
“In Patient Experience you hear tough stories,” she admits. “I had to learn to stay open while protecting my own wellbeing. Thankfully, our leadership encourages staff to take care of themselves so we can care for others.”
Looking ahead: making patient experience second nature
“Caroline represents our patient's voices as we build better systems in care delivery. Her role, along with the Patient Experience portfolio, is dedicated to providing the best possible experience we can to our patients and families throughout their care journey," says Valvasori.
- Over the next three years, Campbell aims to:
- Expand NHEN to reflect Niagara’s full cultural and demographic spectrum as much as possible.
- Embed the six patient‑experience elements into daily language and culture across Niagara Health. The elements reflect how a positive patient experience should look, sound and feel to our patients and caregivers: Know Me, Respect Me, Listen to Me, Involve Me, Support Me, and Best Care for Me.
- Support teams so patient‑centered thinking happens “in every interaction, every decision.”
“Patient Experience isn’t just a department,” Campbell says. “It’s a movement — and it’s growing.”
Interested in joining the Niagara Health Engagement Network? More information can be found here.
