High praise for Kaiser Permanente model--and a call to action

No doubt that a recent article in the Economist will broaden the appeal of the Kaiser Permanente’s model of care delivery and financing to a wide audience. This is critically important as the regulatory implementation of the new health care reform law is getting under way in earnest.

The article not only praises the system but also praises the increasing recognition that Kaiser Permanente delivers higher and higher quality in more and more measures in more and more locations.

It’s all good news, and good news at the right time.

As the regulatory work evolves, our competitors within the industry will be positioning themselves. Large nonprofit health systems, insurance companies, private practitioners, academic medical centers, for-profit health systems—the entire landscape that makes up the health care industry will continue lobbying efforts. In other words, the fight for affordable, high-quality universal health care is just getting started with the passage of the new law.

If Kaiser Permanente is to retain its leadership status, we must advance the work of our Labor Management Partnership (LMP). Frontline caregivers must continue innovation in all areas of the system, from capturing revenue to improving all aspects of our member and patient relations and service as well as seeking  high-quality and cost-effective outcomes for every member.

The article in the Economist must be seen as more than high praise. It is a call to action!

The LMP must be among the most successful strategic differentiators in the KP system. No other system in the nation is positioned like Kaiser Permanente—but that will not stop our competitors  from attempting to copy and outpace us.

Think about it: If there are billions of dollars available in quality bonuses for better outcomes for patients, then what is to stop others from vying for these bonuses? For those who cannot achieve the standards, what will stop them from lobbying to put that money into other revenue streams?

In brief, the vast and highly diffuse industry is going to come at Washington, DC with a vengeance.

We must perform at the highest levels. And we can, because:

• We know what the attributes of high-performing unit-based teams are; we must spread this knowledge and help more and more teams succeed;
• We know we have the highest employee engagement scores in the industry when employees are engaged in unit-based teams. We must build on this engagement toward great results;
• We must unify, integrate, and simplify our learning methodologies, stop “death by initiative,” and work toward a unified strategy of improvement

KP has all the attributes to lead. That is what makes KP the best place to work.

The knowledge of frontline staff is being unleashed to advance the strategy for health care improvement for the nation. Now more than ever!