Barbara Grimm

The MidAtlantic region's new Capitol facility has been open less than a year, but unit-based teams are already finding new ways to improve service and care. LMP Senior VP Barb Grimm caught up recently with Audrey King, LMP coordinator for the region, to find out just what what teams are up to.

With almost 3,500 unit-based teams across Kaiser Permanante, more physicians than ever are seeing the benefits of team-based care. Colorado physician Mark Ptaskiewicz, an early convert to the team approach, recently shared with LMP senior VP Barb Grimm just what made him a believer.

As a large organization, one of Kaiser Permanente's greatest challenges is sharing learning and spreading success. Unit-based teams in Southern California are finding ways to do just that. Senior VP Barb Grimm caught up with Scal UBT Consultant Stacy Dietz at the recent Resource Exchange in Colorado. They talked about how passionate sponsors are key to successful teams.

Recently Barb visited Ohio where she spoke with Fred Lefton, Assistant Director of Pharmacy. He had a few tips for other UBT sponsors about collaborative decision making.

Best Quality is one of the four strategic points of the KP Value Compass—and members of every Kaiser Permanente team should make time for the 2011 National Quality Conference. The free conference broadcasts live July 13-14 to desktops across KP and will be available on demand through 2011. It features more than 50 speakers and breakout sessions, with health care leaders from around the world and KP. CME credit is available for all sessions. Barb Grimm and Senior Vice President, Quality and Service, Alide Chase talk about this extraordinary opportunity to spread best practices, improve the quality of our care and make KP the best to get care and to work.

It’s flu season. The good news is that it's not too late to get the flu vaccine which increases your chance of staying healthy. It also reduces the likelihood that you'll pass along a flu virus to KP members or your family. This conversation between Jed Weissberg, MD, SVP of quality and care delivery excellence, and the LMP's Barb Grimm will convince you that getting the flu shot is the right thing to do!

Is Kaiser Permanente creating a culture in which frontline employees feel safe trying something new, even if they might fail? Do KP executives model that behavior? LMP Senior Vice President Barb Grimm, Donna Lynne, president of the Colorado region and Southern California President Ben Chu agree that taking measured risks—and failing—are essential to transformation and improvement. The three KP leaders recently shared perspectives.

It’s open enrollment season, which means members with employer-sponsored health insurance have the opportunity to renew their membership with Kaiser Permanente—or choose another health care provider. So Senior VP Barb Grimm decided it was the perfect time to catch up with Wade Overgaard, the senior VP of sales and account management for California, to get his advice on how we can all help retain members and help KP grow.

Unit-based teams play a critical role in making Kaiser Permanente the safest place to work and to receive care. Every day, UBTs search for news ways to reduce injuries. And teams create an environment in which employees feel comfortable speaking up if they see something unsafe. Senior VP Barb Grimm spoke recently with Doug Bonacum, senior VP of patient safety, about the art of keeping KP safe.