TAMPA, Fla. — A Bay area couple has shared their passion for the patient care experience at Tampa General Hospital by volunteering for years with the hospital’s Patient and Family Advisory Council.

On a recent morning, Sarah Jones-Chambers and her husband, 95-year-old Lawrence “Larry” Chambers, were meeting with members of a hospital patient experience team.

Sarah and Lawrence have been strong advocates for what can be done to help senior citizens when they receive care at the hospital. Sarah shared how older patients may have special needs.

An example might be an older resident who has to wait in an emergency department hallway if there is overcrowding.

“It’s harder for them,” said Sarah. “Frequently they don’t have phones to entertain themselves.”

Lawrence said older caregivers might be a great idea for older patients.

“The only old people that came to see me while I was here was my urologist,” he said. “He was an old guy and my doctor who was an old guy.”

Sarah was the first to get involved with the Patient and Family Advisory Council. Lawrence said he had concerns about Sarah driving to meetings at night by herself, so he decided to check out the meetings and got hooked.

“The meetings were interesting, and the discussions were about things I cared about, so I joined up,” he said.

Both Sarah and Lawrence are dedicated to PFAC. They have traveled to Tallahassee to lobby lawmakers on behalf of the hospital and even appeared in a hospital patient care video.

“I don’t believe in complaints,” said Sarah. “Complaints are useless. I believe in cooperating. In working on situations that need improvement.”

“As long as you can give back, it’s a good thing,” said Lawrence.