Unit-Based Teams Are Getting ResultsExamples of success: Affordability, efficiency and service

December 2014

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RESULTSImproved timeliness of deliveries—and savings of more than $375,000 a year.

FEATURED TEAMColorado Couriers

WHAT THEY DID

The Couriers unit-based team, concerned about the outsourcing of delivery services, streamlined operations by:•Improving its routes and workflows•Hiring an additional person to reduce reliance on contractors•Using new technology to better schedule and track orders

Colorado Couriers Save Jobs and Money

Teams Collaborate to Ease Growing Workload

FEATURED TEAMMolecular and Cytology Lab UBTs, Stapleton Colorado

WHAT THEY DIDWith growing membership in the region, and increased demands for testing (especially Pap and HPV screening), the teams: •Studied other labs’ practices•Vetted and recommended new equipment •Streamlined processes and fast-tracked training

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Average HPV screens per month

RESULTSProcessing time for HPV samples fell by half, even as test volume more than quadrupled.

Team Saves on Outside Medical Costs

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RESULTS$113,000 savings in 10 months

FEATURED TEAMSouthwood Specialties GastrointestinalGeorgia

WHAT THEY DIDTo reduce the need for expensive, outside physicians to administer anesthesia:•Scheduled doctors to perform anesthesia cases only four days a week, instead of five•Increased the percentage of anesthesia cases from 70 percent to at least 90 percent on the days physicians are scheduled

Inpatient Pediatrics Team Reduces Linen Costs

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FEATURED TEAMInpatient Pediatrics, Moanalua Medical CenterHawaii

WHAT THEY DIDThis UBT reduced linen costs—while ensuring it had the right number of gowns in the right sizes— by adjusting par levels, ordering fewer linens overall but more pediatric-sized gowns. Team members also designated a secure cabinet for permanent linen storage. Their goal was to reduce laundry costs by 5 percent.

RESULTSAverage monthly linen cost

Saving the Hassle and Cost of Lost ID Cards

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RESULTSCards destroyed per quarter and

associated costs

FEATURED TEAMMembership Administration Mid-Atlantic States

WHAT THEY DIDTo improve service and save money, this UBT reduced the number of member ID cards being sent to incorrect addresses—and ultimately destroyed. Team members:•Corrected member addresses by conferring with members, employer groups and KP departments•Remailed original cards rather than issuing duplicates•Worked with call center colleagues to prevent replacement cards from again going to an incorrect address

Simple Conversation Improves Follow-Up Care

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FEATURED TEAMUnit Assistants, Redwood City Medical Center Northern California

WHAT THEY DIDTo reduce costly and stressful patient readmissions, this UBT increased the percentage of follow-up appointments scheduled to take place within seven days of a patient’s discharge from the hospital.

Before a patient is discharged, unit assistants speak with the patient and family about follow-up appointments and log the information, so appointments can be booked at the most convenient times. This practice spread throughout the hospital.

RESULTSPercentage of follow-up appointments that occur within seven days of discharge

Percentage of follow-up appointments kept by patients

Floor Cleaning Made Greener, Cheaper

FEATURED TEAMEVS, Sacramento Medical CenterNorthern California

WHAT THEY DIDThis UBT purchased new floor-cleaning equipment that does not use chemicals or large amounts of water to clean and refinish hospital and medical office floors. The team’s goal was to reduce the overall cost of floor care by reducing by 25 percent the cost of the chemicals used in the machines.

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RESULTSReduction in annual cleaning

solution costs

Teamwork Gives Babies a Healthy Start

FEATURED TEAMHealth Education, Manteca Medical Center Northern California

WHAT THEY DIDTo increase the number of new moms breastfeeding their babies, this UBT:•Provided support involving health educators, lactation consultants, physicians, medical assistants and nurses•Encouraged observance of the “golden hour” immediately after birth, when a newborn is placed skin to skin on the mother’s chest to promote bonding and breastfeeding•Made sure mothers-to-be were asked about breastfeeding at the regular 28-week visit.

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RESULTSPercentage of mothers exclusively

breastfeeding their newborns

Rates jumped 22 points in less than one year

Change in Tubing Saves $25,000

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RESULTSReduced the cost of IV tubing by 85 percent,

saving about $25,000 a year.

FEATURED TEAMOncology, Interstate Medical OfficeNorthwest

WHAT THEY DIDTeam members assessed their use of supplies and switched from expensive specialized tubing to deliver certain IV medications to standardized tubing, when equally safe and effective.

Spreading Ways to Transform Care

FEATURED TEAMRegional Infusion CenterNorthwest

WHAT THEY DIDTeam members heard about a new, faster method for delivering Remicade, an infusion drug used to treat Crohn’s and other diseases. They gathered information from other regions using the new protocol and worked to fast-track the approval process in the Northwest.

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RESULTSInfusion times dropped from 3.5 hours to 1.5 hours per patient. Up to 16 hours of patient

chair time was opened up every day.

Speedy Slides Boost Morale, Efficiency

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RESULTSPercentage of slides distributed to

pathologists by 8 a.m.

FEATURED TEAMHistology, Regional Laboratory Northwest

WHAT THEY DIDTo improve turnaround times, reduce rework and boost morale, the team (which prepares tissue slides for review by pathologists), began:•Using a display board to track turnaround times•Incorporating turnaround time and quality assurance discussions in huddles•Meeting weekly with sponsors and pathologists to improve communication

Smart Scheduling Reduces Waste

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FEATURED TEAMOncology Pharmacy, Woodland Hills Southern California

WHAT THEY DIDTo reduce waste of expensive medication, team members:•Schedule back-to-back appointments for patients getting infusions of the same drugs, to avoid discarding unused medication•Use smaller vials of two commonly used drugs

RESULTSAverage weekly waste of medication was

cut in half, for savings of more than $114,000 a year

Outreach Reduces Health Disparities

FEATURED TEAMInternal Medicine, Los Angeles Medical CenterSouthern California

WHAT THEY DIDTo improve the rate of hypertension control among African-American members, this UBT invites members who meet specific criteria to a specialized clinic. Team members there:•Take blood pressure readings•Provide education about hypertension and prescribe or adjust medications for those who need it•Give certificates to those who have their blood pressure under control

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RESULTSThe team’s work helped close the care

gap between African-American patients and those of other races

or ethnicities.

Giving Patients a Voice

FEATURED TEAMNeonatal Intensive Care Unit, Downey Medical CenterSouthern California

WHAT THEY DIDTo better integrate parents into the caregiving and information sharing for their newborns, this team:

•Created “quiet time,” when parents listen and jot down notes while the outgoing nurse updates the incoming nurse

•Devised a discreet signal if nurses needed to step away to discuss sensitive information out of the parents’ earshot

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RESULTSPatient satisfaction scores rose from 74 percent to 88 percent one year later.

Peer Education Reduces Sharps Injuries

FEATURED TEAMInpatient Nursing, San Diego Medical CenterSouthern California

WHAT THEY DIDThree frontline nurses stepped up to tackle a shared concern about needle and sharps injuries. The nurses:

•Travelled from unit to unit to share best practices•Standardized supplies, recommending use of the same best equipment everywhere•Contributed their expertise to investigations of needlestick injuries.

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RESULTS76 percent decrease in needlestick injuries in inpatient nursing units