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Safety’s Secret Ingredient
The Ambulatory Care Pharmacy team achieved 3 ½ years without a workplace injury by training staff as ergonomic assessors and implementing peer safety rounds.
- The department’s strong speaking-up culture helps team members address problems quickly.
- Training staff members as ergonomic assessors and developing peer safety rounds
Blitz Bulldozes Backlogged Claims
The team saw a 50 percent increase in sessions processed when members focused their efforts as a team on a particular work queue.
- Delays in moving claims through the process impacts members, staff and KP’s bottom line.
- Team members work together on the same queue until the backlog decreases, instead of everyone working in individual queues
Telling a Story to Promote Cancer Screening
Team improved return rate of cancer-screening kits by identifying members and using a specialized script.
- Screening tests can find cancer early, when treatment works better.
- Sharing personal stories with patients about the importance of cancer screening
Cracking the Case of Missing Lab Orders
Team uses facts and fun to educate departments about workflow missteps .
- Reducing missing lab orders improves patient care and eliminates extra work for employees.
- Analyzing data to identify problem departments and working with them to find solutions
"Bladder Bundle" Protects Patient Safety
Team decreased the number of bladder infections—from nearly 20 infections per 1,000 catheter days down to near zero within six months.
- Urinary tract infections caused by catheters can lengthen hospital stays and complicate a patient’s recovery.
- Nurses using an evaluation checklist to determine whether the catheter was medically necessary and properly secured
Better Workflow Controls Blood Pressure
Primary care team increased percentage of hypertensive patients whose blood pressure is under control, from 65 percent to 76 percent in four months.
- Hypertension is a serious health problem that can lead to heart failure or a heart attack.
- Clinical nursing assistants consistently sent patients with elevated blood pressure to nurse practitioners for management
Transformed Team Tracks Transplant Patients
UBT dramatically improves the percentage of kidney transplant patients getting follow-up screenings and services.
- Regular follow-up care is crucial for kidney transplant patients, who are at risk for a host of complications, including cancer and pneumonia.
- Team hosted a special clinic for post-transplant patients, enabling them to get all their follow-up care in one visit
Steering Away from Outsourcing
Couriers saved more than $145,000 in five months after they reconfigured routes, purchased better software to track pickups and deliveries and equipped drivers with smartphones.
- Reducing our reliance on outside couriers and investing in technology improves affordability and timely pick-up and delivery of packages .
- Changing routes and bringing contracted routes in house
Needle-Stick Injuries Drop to 0
Surgery team creates safe way to pass sharps to each other and reinforces messaging with fliers.
- Reducing needle-stick injuries protects our employees and ensures they are ready and able to care for our members.
- Creating a “Pass Free Zone” to discourage team members from directly handing needles and other sharp objects to each other
Corralling Cancer with Coughs and Sneezes
Allergy team uses script and reminders to provide timely health screenings to patients.
- Identifying health risks and signs of disease as early as possible helps us deliver on Kaiser Permanente’s Total Health promise.
- Collaborating and sharing data to identify missed opportunities to provide health screenings
Whiteboard Helps Rehab Communications
Information-sharing improved among different groups of the care giving staff.
- Nurses, physical therapists, patients and family members all have the same information about the case.
- Using a whiteboard in patient rooms to record physical therapy sessions
Paying a Fair Share for Orthotic Supplies
The team began to properly charge members for orthotic supplies and increased revenue.
- Increased revenue helps us continue to provide high-quality care to our members.
- Identifying loss of revenue and creating new plan