Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center

Patient and Family Advisory Council

Appointment New Patient Appointment or 214-645-8300

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At Simmons Cancer Center, we build cancer care around the wide-ranging needs of our patients and their caregivers. The Patient and Family Advisory Council was created and developed with generous support from Kim and Jeff Chapman. Our vision is to identify and address needs throughout the entire patient experience and to create mutually beneficial partnerships among patients, families, and health care providers.

To be a member of the PFAC, we ask that you:

  • Be a current or former Simmons Cancer Center patient, caregiver, or family member
  • Represent all patients, caregivers, and family members
  • Commit to a two-year term
  • Complete orientation and all required documentation and forms for your membership file
  • Each term year, attend eight of the 12 monthly meetings — currently meetings are virtual
  • Engage in at least one additional opportunity to improve the patient experience such as an institutional committee, focus group, special project, etc.

Examples of PFAC involvement include:

  • Informed design of new building, including art curation
  • Reviewed education materials, including website and acute care clinic marketing materials
  • Collaborated with the CRO on letters to communicate status of ongoing trials
  • Presented to medical school students, nursing students, and advanced practice fellows
  • Monthly presentations at new employee orientation
  • Representation on IRBs
  • Collaboration with Community Outreach, Equity, and Engagement Office
  • Completion of extensive patient and caregiver survey
  • Collaborated with Imerman’s Angels to offer peer mentoring

Get Involved

Interested patients and caregivers are asked to complete our application by Friday, December 15, 2023. We will begin reviewing applications after this date and contacting selected applicants for interviews.

Feel free to email SCCCSupport@utsouthwestern.edu or call Alex Huffman, LCSW, OSW-C, Assistant Director of Support Services, at 214-645-2742 with questions.

Leadership

Kim Chapman, Founder

John Sweetenham, M.D., SCCC Associate Director of Clinical Affairs

Kyle A. Taylor, M.H.S.A., CPHQ, SCCC Associate Vice President of Clinical Programs

Susan Chacko, PharmD, RPh, BCOP

Judy Devlin, M.S.N., APRN, ANP-C, AOCNP

Alex Huffman, LCSW, OSW-C, Assistant Director of Support Services

Christie Nichols, BSN, RN, BMTCN

Fatemeh Youssefi, Ph.D., RN, OCN

Patient and Family Advisory Council Members

Hope Aguilar

Suzette Boese

Judy Bokhart

Nichelle Boyland

Peter Brookhart

Taffie Lynn Butters

Jay Carter

Wendy Casper

Kim Chapman

Sadaf Charania

Sharron Coffie

Roberto Cowan

Sam Farina

Mary Ellen Garland

Linda Garner

Jimmy Graham

Debbi Haacke

Danna Hightower

Tom Hulsey

Rebecca Jenkins

Sharie Kimball

Alexandra Kirkpatrick

Mike Land

Annette Leslie

Stephanie Lovely

Patrick Makarewich

Maritza Figy-Manzanares

Caryl Meeks

Leta Nelson

Reema Patel

Tamara Pearson

Alexis Prochnow

Sadiyah Shaikh

Sam Snow

Nick Stepaniak

Susan Ratz-Thomas

Ivan Thompson

Mary Beth Watson

Rachel Walker

Connie Webb

Misty Woodhall

Felicia Young Whisenhunt