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Welcome to e-Hank! The national Labor Management Partnership communications team is pleased to serve you in this new format, and we’re grateful to those of you who’ve reached out and said you miss the print editions of Hank. But until the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, an electronic communication seems best.

This issue looks at how our Partnership — which now includes 2 union federations, with separate National Agreements — helped Kaiser Permanente meet the extraordinary challenges that a worldwide pandemic brought to our doors. We’ve never been tested like this before. And how we’ve responded in the last several months provides a look at how we will respond and grow and adapt to future challenges. The dialogue and collaboration that have been taking place during the pandemic are a model for the future.

In this e-edition of Hank, we’re also introducing 2 concepts we think will help strengthen the culture of partnership throughout the enterprise.

The first is a renewed focus on The Basics — tips, tools and stories that will help you understand the core philosophy of the Labor Management Partnership and what it means to work in partnership. New to the Partnership? These materials will help show why Kaiser Permanente and the Partnership unions that belong to the Alliance of Health Care Unions or the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions are committed to it as an operating strategy. Been around for a while? Dive in and refresh your knowledge of the principles and processes that make our Partnership a success.

The second is a new focus on Joy in Work, a concept pioneered by the Institute of Healthcare Improvement. By Joy in Work, we don’t mean smiley faces or i’s that are dotted with hearts. We hope our Joy in Work stories and tools will help you connect with your deeper, personal motivations for working in the  demanding health care field. The stats show that people who feel this sort of connection — this fundamental Joy in Work — are less likely to suffer from depression and burnout.

Lastly, don’t miss the back cover, which provides a quick refresh on a core principle that helps our Labor Management Partnership thrive: Free to Speak. It’s a reminder that your voice matters. Thank you for reading this and for all your hard work. Together, there is strength in partnership.

How would you want your mother or grandmother to be treated if she came in for an outpatient appointment at Kaiser Permanente? That’s how we want to treat all of KP’s members. Thousands of unit-based teams are working to make sure every KP member receives top-notch service, from the first phone call to the visit with the care provider to the member’s departure from the facility. Providing great service will make our members’ lives better.

1. Review patient/member satisfaction survey responses with the entire team at weekly meetings and huddles.
2. Connect with patients by making eye contact and addressing patients by name.
3. Keep patients informed by explaining everything you’re doing and all of the next steps.
4. Update patients every 10 to 15 minutes on wait times if there’s a delay.
5. Thank patients and members for choosing Kaiser Permanente for their care. Always ask, “Is there anything else I can do for you?”
6. Provide a “wow” experience during a new member’s first visit.
7. Address wait times by trying changes like an “all hands on deck” approach, so when wait times hit a certain threshold, all available staff members drop what they’re doing and help reduce long lines.
8. Make sure phone calls are answered and messages are returned as quickly as possible.
9. Encourage members to sign up for kp.org.
10. If a patient is upset or has had a bad experience, offer a sincere apology and ask, “What can I do to make this better for you?”

When we help Kaiser Permanente membership grow, we help make KP stronger and our jobs more secure. One of the best ways to grow KP membership is to provide great service to every member we serve — especially to new members during their first interactions with Kaiser Permanente. Here are some ways to enhance the member experience and keep new members with KP for the long haul.Engage the entire unit-based team in providing a “wow” experience during a new member’s first visit.

1. Use tools like the New Member Identifier in Kaiser Permanente HealthConnect® to flag new members and give them a little extra TLC during their visit.
2. Provide new members with information packets (with, for example, important phone numbers, a facility map, pharmacy hours) that will help them access all of KP’s services.
3. Make every member’s visit special with a warm welcome. Take time to answer questions about KP, or even offer a mini-tour of the facility before or after an appointment.
4. Follow up on first visits with a thank-you card or survey to find out how the visit went and how it could be improved.
5. Sign members up for kp.org while they are waiting in the reception area or exam room. Take time to explain the benefits of using kp.org—for instance, the ability to refi prescriptions by mail or manage a child’s care online.
6. Create a friendly competition in your department to see how many members a staffer can get to try mail-order refill or KP.org.
7. Use service-improvement tools that help your team connect with members. Check with your UBT consultant or regional LMP Council for suggestions.
8. Improve access to KP services by working with your team to reduce the time members must wait for appointments.
9. Help new members get to know their care providers by providing a physician biography or a brief introduction about the nurse or pharmacist they will be seeing that day.