Joanne Cunningham is what you might call a Le Bonheur frequent flyer.

Her son, 7-year-old Jacob, was born with multiple disabilities and has faced numerous surgeries and hospitalizations at Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center.

It’s that experience as a Le Bonheur parent that makes her a perfect sounding board for hospital leaders while they design plans for a new medical center, which will open in 2011. She is one of dozens of parents Le Bonheur has partnered with to find out what they’d like to see in the new facility, and what they would change about the existing one.

The idea is to make sure the voice of families and patient is reflected in the new hospital’s plans. Part of that effort recently brought parents and architects together to discuss ideas.

“Le Bonheur is already a wonderful place for families. I know with the changes being put into place it will be even better,” Cunningham said. “I am most excited about Le Bonheur seeking out family input and involvement. When families are involved in their child’s healthcare needs as a true partner, the child will benefit even more.”

Those partnerships are at the center of a healthcare approach where families are engaged in the care of their child and become an essential part of his or her treatment.

The philosophy of taking care of families and patients plays out in all sorts of ways.

On a basic level, Le Bonheur provides a Parent Resource Center with computers for families to stay connected and Dining On Call service for patients to order room service from the cafeteria whenever they are hungry.

Establishing a foundation of helping families feel important to hospital leaders can lead to relationships that allow parents to partner even more with clinicians at Le Bonheur.

For example, Le Bonheur’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is designed so that parents can sleep near their baby in his or her room, and in turn, be an integral part of that baby’s care.

“Partnering with families and in some cases, patients too, is really essential to ensuring quality outcomes and patient safety,” said Janet Phillips, Le Bonheur’s administrative director of Family-Centered Care. “No one knows our patients better than their own parents.”