• Reviewing the Emergency Department’s patient intake procedure and documenting the number of forms used
• Brainstorming ways to reduce multiple forms and frequency of contact between clerks and patients
• Educating clerks and staff on the new technology, including the use of electronic signature pads

What can your team do to leverage technology to save money and improve the patient experience? What else could you do to help keep KP affordable for our member and patients?

• Providing more information on the dialysis process
• Scheduling surgery for fistulas sooner
• Minimizing the time patients use catheters for dialysis

What can your team do to reduce infections? And are there ways educating patients can improve the care experience? 

• Partnering with Pharmacy Analytics to identify and remove outdated drugs from the shelf
• Engaging team members to “own” a section of the pharmacy and monitor expired or slow-moving medications

What can your team do to better manage your inventory? What else could you do to save money and keep KP affordable for members and patients?

• Reviewing the department budget and using performance improvement tools to determine the causes of overtime
• Revamping the department workflow and coordinating with each other to schedule a relief RN to cover those on break
• Educating and reminding staff about the importance of clocking in and out on time
• Encouraging nurses to notify their managers two hours before the end of shift if they expect to work overtime.

• Team members learning about their own benefits and researching which Emergency Departments Kaiser Permanente prefers to have members use
• Analyzing claims data for patients with the highest number of Emergency Department visits
• Educating patients about Emergency Department use

What can your team do to improve its own business literacy? And help patients make better decisions about their care? 

• Reviewing ordering and inventory practices
• Working with pharmacists to better manage the ordering of specialty drugs
• Increasing bulk purchasing

What can your team do to manage your inventory better? What else could your team do to save money?