Southern California

Kathy J. Sackman, longtime leader of UNAC/UHCP and a true partner to Kaiser Permanente, passed away on December 31, 2021.

Kathy began her nursing career in the emergency room at Pittsburgh Hospital, later joining Kaiser Permanente in the Intensive Care and Critical Care units at Fontana Medical Center.

She began her remarkable 33-year tenure as president of United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals in 1978, when the union consisted of just a small group of nurses. She led the organization through untold changes and monumental growth to over 18,000 registered nurses and health care professionals.

Kathy rose to become a union leader on the national scene, serving as an international vice president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the secretary-treasurer of the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees, and co-chair of AFSCME’s United Nurses of America. A valued voice among state and federal lawmakers, Kathy was one of the union leaders whose activism and passion led to the passing of California’s safe staffing ratio law, among other important public policy initiatives.

“Kathy was a visionary," said Denise Duncan, RN, UNAC/UHCP president. "She was there during the design and infancy of the partnership. She was very protective of the basic tenets that were crafted to support it and sustain it. She continued to be a huge believer that the people on the ground need a voice in how care is delivered and how we speak for it in the community. This is the legacy she left, a legacy that should inspire us as we do our work for the future.”

At Kaiser Permanente, Kathy was respected as a straight shooter and a true force at the bargaining table, advocating for both quality patient care and UNAC/UHCP members – and always seeking the best solutions for all parties. She was an avid supporter of unit-based teams whose vision helped craft win-win agreements and build our Labor Management Partnership into the successful, widely admired model that it is today.

“I was so saddened to hear about Kathy’s passing," said Arlene Peasnall, senior vice president for Human Resources, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals. "I have the deepest respect for her and know that at the center of everything was her passion in ensuring the highest quality care to our patients and providing a work environment in which her members could deliver that care. Kathy will be missed by all of us who had the privilege of working with her.”

Kathy will be remembered as a smart, funny, passionate and compassionate woman who strongly believed in the power of partnership, and in what we can accomplish together.

UNAC/UHCP is planning a celebration of her life. She is survived by 2 sons, Monty and Michael, who along with the extended family, have requested privacy at this time. Any cards or tributes can be sent to the UNAC/UHCP office at 955 Overland Ct., San Dimas, CA 91773.

As we move toward the “next normal,” the Labor Management Partnership has played a key part in supporting COVID-19 vaccinations.

Frontline workers, doctors and managers have come together to get shots in arms. These fruitful collaborations point the way forward as Kaiser Permanente and the Partnership unions work to transform fear into confidence, confusion into clarity, and hesitancy into bold action.

Look at the data

A joint effort between SEIU-UHW and physicians pushed vaccination rates of the union’s members from less than 50% all the way up to 64% within 3 months. It began when union leaders crunched the numbers — and didn’t like what they saw.

At the beginning of February, less than half of SEIU-UHW members at Kaiser Permanente were vaccinated against COVID-19. For instance, only 40% of union employees were vaccinated in the Emergency Department at Downey Medical Center in Southern California, where Gabriel Montoya works as an emergency medical technician.

Montoya and his fellow union members — working with physicians and managers — wanted to raise those rates, so they pulled together labor-doctor huddles. Union members were scared, confused and hesitant.

Building trust

At first, they considered joint physician-labor rounding. But they realized being in patient areas wouldn’t support those conversations, so they pivoted to huddles — short, informal team meetings.

Carol Ishimatsu, MD, a pediatrician with the Southern California Permanente Medical Group, was one of the first doctors to join a huddle in Downey.

“Vaccines are our most important intervention,” says Dr. Ishimatsu, who participated in the clinical trials for the shots when they were being tested.

To build trust, Dr. Ishimatsu emphasized her shared experience with SEIU-UHW members as warriors on the front line. “I told the employees: I do the same thing you do after work,” she says, describing her ritual of removing her clothes in the garage and putting them directly in the washing machine before entering the house. “We are in different professions, doing the same thing.”

Joel Valenciano, an Environmental Services manager at Downey, helped organize huddles at outlying clinics.

“I encouraged the staff to be honest, relate their fears and doubts, anything holding them back,” he says. “And they really opened up.”

“We did it in partnership,” says Montoya, the emergency medical technician. “The labor partners led the huddles and introduced the doctors.

I can’t imagine that happening in a nonunion hospital, or even a non-Partnership hospital.”

“Dexter” Janet Borrowman is an operational excellence coach for performance improvement in the Southern California Region. She recently spoke with LMP Communications manager Sherry Crosby about the importance of rounding conversations for managers and frontline workers. Building a workplace culture where everyone’s voice matters is key to our Labor Management Partnership.

What is rounding?

Rounding is an evidence-based practice that relies on purposeful conversation and observation to drive workplace engagement and insights. Direct report rounding involves conversations between a team member and that person’s supervisor, manager or leader.

How does rounding benefit managers and frontline workers?

When done well, rounding helps managers build trust with staff, gain insights into workplace challenges and recognize employees, which fosters joy in work. Frontline workers benefit by having a chance to connect individually with their managers, share ideas, express concerns and find deeper purpose in their everyday work.

What evidence shows rounding is an effective practice?

Rounding is one of the most effective ways for managers to spend their time. And the more they consistently round, the greater the impact. According to People Pulse, departments where rounding is routinely practiced achieve more meaningful levels of engagement, better patient care outcomes, fewer workplace injuries and improved attendance.

How can frontline workers get the most out of rounding conversations?

Sometimes employees don’t see the benefit of direct report rounding; they just see it as helping the boss complete their checklist. It’s totally missing the point! Rounding is your chance to discuss what you need to be successful and the support you need. This is all about you!

How can managers get the most out of rounding conversations?

Rounding is one of the best tools that managers have for proactively surfacing and addressing issues which can create safer, more efficient and productive teams and environments. Use rounding to connect with your team members. People need to feel that their life and work has meaning, and that they are personally supported and cared for as a complete person. People need a personal touch, especially during difficult times, and rounding can help with that.

How can managers use rounding to build trusting relationships?

Your direct reports need to feel that what they’re saying is important and that you’re following up with action. Circle back to that person who brought up the issue with you. Go to the huddle and follow up with the whole team. We build trust by following up after a rounding conversation. We break trust by not following up.

What advice do you have for those who want to enhance their rounding practice?

If we are doing rounding the right way, if we’re doing it consistently, if we’re doing it authentically, then we will discover what matters most to our people and we’ll be able to better support them and the work they do.

Union leaders crunched the numbers, and they didn’t like what they saw.

At the beginning of February, less than 50% of SEIU-UHW members at Kaiser Permanente were vaccinated against COVID-19. It was even worse for employees in the Emergency Department at Downey Medical Center in Southern California, where Gabriel Montoya works as an emergency medical technician. There, only 40% of his fellow union members got the shot.

Montoya and his fellow union members — working with physicians and managers — wanted to raise those rates, so they pulled together labor-doctor huddles. And by mid-April, 64% were vaccinated. 

“We did it in partnership,” says Montoya. “The labor partners led the huddles and introduced the doctors. I can’t imagine that happening in a nonunion hospital or even a non-Partnership hospital.”

Going live

SEIU-UHW members set up a phone bank to call — in Spanish and English — members who worked in housekeeping, food service and central supply departments, where vaccination rates were lowest. The union also hosted a Facebook live event where Black and Latino KP doctors answered questions.

Those proved so popular that they wondered, why not do this live at the facilities?

Angela Glasper loved the idea. The chief shop steward at Antioch Medical Center in Northern California got frustrated when she talked to fellow union members who were conflicted about getting vaccinated.

“I listened, but I couldn’t address their concerns,” says Glasper, who works in optical sales and needed someone with the clinical expertise to answer their questions. “Wouldn’t you rather hear it from a doctor than me?” she asks, with a hearty guffaw. “People would say to the doctors, ‘Labor has been telling us about it, but you answered our questions.’”

One of the most popular doctors at the huddles in Antioch was Jeffrey Ghassemi, MD, an anesthesiologist. He shared his harrowing stories about working on the COVID units and was, in Glasper’s words, “patient and gentle.” With a newfound confidence, employees signed up for vaccine appointments during huddles.

Building trust

Pediatrician Carol Ishimatsu, MD, who volunteered to talk at a huddle in Downey, has given children shots to prevent measles, mumps and chickenpox for more than 2 decades.

“Vaccines are our most important intervention,” says Dr. Ishimatsu.

To build trust, Dr. Ishimatsu emphasized her shared experience with SEIU-UHW members as warriors on the front line.

“I told the employees: I do the same thing you do after work,” she says, describing her ritual of removing her clothes in the garage and putting them directly in the washing machine before entering the house. “We are in different professions, doing the same thing.”

Joel Valenciano, an Environmental Services manager at Downey, helped organize huddles at outlying clinics.

“I encouraged the staff to be honest, relate their fears and doubts, anything holding them back,” he says. “And they really opened up.”

The trust and open communication cultivated by working in partnership were key to building vaccine confidence.

“Working in partnership has intensified during the pandemic,” says Valenciano, “because people realize we need to work together.”

Dr. Ishimatsu agrees. She was involved with the Labor Management Partnership when it started more than 20 years ago. “At the time, I wasn’t sure it would evolve,” she recalls. “It treats us like one big family, instead of segments. The thing that keeps one person safe, keeps everyone safe.”

When it comes to addressing health care disparities, medical office assistant Anna Jenkins thinks her unit-based team is up to the challenge. 

“I can go to my UBT members and say, ‘This is a care gap. Give me your feedback. Give me your ideas,’” says Jenkins, an OPEIU Local 30 member and labor co-lead for the Rancho San Diego Primary Care team. “Our administration listens to us. They’re very open to letting us try it our own way.” 

The Level 5 team is leveraging Labor Management Partnership principles and tools to communicate, coordinate and customize care for Latino patients with diabetes. The approach has led to better health outcomes and improved service for a group disproportionately impacted by diabetes. 

The unit-based team has increased the number of Latino patients ages 65 to 75 whose blood sugar levels are under control, according to recent clinical quality measures. 

“That partnership between management and labor is important,” says Silvia Hernandez, RN, medical office administrator and the team’s management sponsor. “This teamwork helps us to improve patient care and quality with excellent member satisfaction.” 

Adapting approaches 

Key to the team’s success is partnering with Complete Care Management, a specialized strike force that monitors the health of patients who struggle to control chronic conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure. 

To better support her Latino patients, care manager Lily Thamiz, RN, has adapted her approach. She books longer appointments for Spanish-speaking patients who need interpreters, refers others to bilingual diabetes education classes, and relies on phone calls to connect with those short on time. 

“The only time we can talk is when they’re driving,” says Thamiz, a member of Specialty Care Nurses of Southern California, an affiliate of UNAC/UHCP. “These are solutions I’d never considered before.” 

UBT members tailor treatment in other ways, too. To ensure continuity of care for Latino patients in their 60s and 70s, they standardized the steps needed to download and share data from glucose monitors. Providers use the devices to track patients’ blood sugar levels and adjust their medications. By consistently managing and sharing data, staff members guarantee they do not miss crucial patient information when communicating with one another. 

“They make you feel like you really matter,” says Mary Hart, 71, a Latina patient who has diabetes. “They really show their concern for your health.”