Learning

Program description

The Business Literacy Series (BLS) is a highly interactive and engaging curriculum designed to educate frontline teams/departments about the business of Kaiser Permanente. These face-to-face courses encourage active learning through group activities. Courses may be delivered at a dedicated training session or be used as just-in-time tools at staff meetings, UBT meetings or brown bag sessions to meet the needs of each region, service area or medical center.

Scroll down for details on each course or download an at-a-glance description.

Path to Performance

Level 3

Duration

Each course runs between 45 and 55 minutes:

• KP’s Integrated Business Model (IBM), 45 minutes
• Revenue Expenses and Margins (REM), 50 minutes
• Health Care Costs and Trends (HCCT), 55 minutes
• External Measures of Success: How UBTs Can Influence KP’s Scores (EMS), 45 minutes
• Our Unit-Based Team Perspective and People Pulse (UBTP), 45 minutes
• A KP History Timeline (HT), 55 minutes

Who should attend

Job categories include labor and management members of a unit-based team.

Program requirements

It is recommended participants have completed their foundational LMP training for level 1 and 2 teams.

BLS series course objectives and learning outcomes

KP’s Integrated Business Model (IBM)

This 45-minute course explains KP's unique business model: Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, the Permanente Medical Group and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals (or locally contracted hospital services). At the end of this session, learners will be able to explain the competitive advantages of this model and the benefits to KP members.

Revenue, Expenses and Margin (REM)

This 50-minute course shows how our decisions and actions can influence the cost of care to KP members and patients. REM focuses on KP’s primary sources of revenue, and how revenues and expenses are allocated across the organization. Learners discuss factors that may lead revenues to rise or fall, and the need to have and meet a margin. At the end of this session, learners will understand the importance of participating in affordability projects.

Health Care Costs and Trends (HCCT)

This 55-minute course examines the financial challenges facing KP members who struggle to afford health care services. It addresses rising health care costs and current trends in today’s changing marketplace. Through video clips, group discussions and brainstorming, participants are encouraged to think about what they can do as individuals and unit-based team members to help improve operations and reduce waste. At the end of this session, learners will understand the need to play a role in improving the affordability of care.

External Measures of Success (EMS)

This 45-minute course shows the connection between the work teams do and the external measures used in the marketplace to evaluate KP’s success. The course offers an overview of key (publically reported) performance metrics, such as the Medicare Star Quality Ratings System, HEDIS (Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set), CAHPS (Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Plans and Systems) and HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Plans and Systems). Learners review case studies and KP service scores that are linked to UBT development. At the end of this session, learners will understand how their unit-based teams can influence these metrics and have a positive impact on KP’s external measures of success.

Our Unit-Based Team Perspective (UBTP)

This 45-minute course brings home the personal side of performance improvement. Participants discuss their experiences working in a unit-based team. Using selected People Pulse survey results and learning exercises, this course shows the benefits of UBTs as a business model. Discussions include how engagement in a UBT influences business performance and the work environment. At the end of this session, learners will be equipped and energized to be part of a high-performing team/department.

A KP History Timeline (HT)

This 55-minute course builds understanding of KP’s mission and accomplishments. It identifies key events that led Kaiser Permanente to its integrated business model and made us a leader in health care. It also reviews how our Labor Management Partnership has influenced KP’s development and strengthened KP and the unions. At the end of this session, learners will feel proud of their contributions to the health of our communities, and how to be effective ambassadors for KP.

FAQs

Q: Does my team need to complete all courses to fulfill requirements for business literacy?

A: Business literacy training requirements are determined by each region. For more details, connect with your corresponding unit-based team consultant or your regional LMP training office.

Q: What is the difference between the Business Literacy Series and some existing business literacy modules?

A: Click here for details.

Course description

Team Leadership for Co-leads is designed to bring labor, management and physician co-leads together to facilitate conversations about the performance of their unit-based teams. The co-leads receive information about high-performing unit-based teams at Kaiser Permanente and then review a 360 feedback tool to use with their teams after the course. Participants will learn a basic coaching model and practice role playing UBT coaching scenarios. Participants also will learn the fundamentals of how people adapt to change, review a change management model for leaders, and make agreements on how to manage change in their role with their unit-based teams. In addition, participants will learn the fundamentals of Emotional Intelligence and how to use “EQ” when leading change.

Path to Performance

Level 3, 4, 5

Duration

8 hours

Who should attend

This course is intended for participants who are experienced co-leads of unit-based teams. Job categories who should attend union, management and physician co-leads.

Course requirements

• Labor Management Partnership Orientation (LMPO)
• Co-Lead Workshop
• Labor and management co-leads attend the training together

Rally your co-workers and have fun at the same time. This training offers ideas on making meetings interesting and productive.

Training description

Finding ways to involve everyone on a unit-based team can be tough, especially in large departments. This interactive workshop gives participants tips and tricks to engage co-workers in partnership work. Develop your leadership skills and have fun, too!  

Path to Performance

Levels 1—5

Duration

Usually 90 minutes, but this training can be customized to suit your team's needs.

Who should attend

This in-person training is for unit-based teams, LMP councils, units/departments, and other groups.

This training will help you practice listening, develop a succinct message and more.

Training description

This training shows how to get a message across to Kaiser Permanente members, co-workers, supervisors — even family members. Put new skills to work in advocating for change, presenting to your team, promoting KP, training others, giving information to members and advancing your career at KP. 

Path to Performance

Levels 1—5

Duration

Usually 90 minutes, but can be customized to suit your team's needs

Who should attend

This in-person training is for unit-based teams, LMP councils, units/departments and other groups.

Course description

It is critical for steward sponsors and management sponsors to invest in the development of the unit-based team, which will have a long-term impact on the organization, and to learn about tools and resources available to them in their sponsor role. This course is designed to help union, physician and management sponsors discover the benefits of effective sponsorship and how it can help them develop successful, sustainable unit-based teams.

Union and management sponsors will gain an awareness of how their role is critical to the transformation of how the work at Kaiser Permanente is done.
 

Path to Performance

Level 2

Duration

3 hours

Who should attend

This course is intended for participants who are sponsors of unit-based teams. Job categories who should attend labor, management and physician.

Course requirements

Labor Management Partnership Orientation (LMPO)

Everyone has a voice at Kaiser Permanente — and KP needs to hear yours. This empowering training helps teams understand why every voice matters and how to be sure all are heard. 

Training description

Creating a space where workers feel safe speaking up leads to better patient care and a better workplace. This fast-paced, interactive workshop helps frontline workers and managers learn what a speaking-up culture looks like, why it matters and how to manage difficult conversations through role play and group exercises.  

Path to Performance

Levels 1—5

Duration

Usually 90 minutes, but this training can be customized to suit your team's needs.

Who should attend

This in-person training is for unit-based teams, LMP councils, units/departments and other groups.

One of a manager’s most important roles may not appear on the job description — but goes hand in hand with getting results.

“Managers have a key role in helping employees build successful careers,” says Maria Aldana, a career counselor with the SEIU UHW-West & Joint Employer Education Fund, one of two education trusts supported by the Labor Management Partnership between Kaiser Permanente and the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions. “A great leader creates other leaders.”

Fortunately, Kaiser Permanente managers have many ways to support their employees’ development and ensure their department’s success. Here are five.

1. Have career conversations with employees. Talks can be brief and happen anytime and anywhere during the work day, not just during annual performance evaluations. Get tips at Kaiser Permanente’s leadership and management portal (sign-in required) and at Skillsoft @ KP (sign-in required), an on-demand, mobile-ready catalog of learning resources.

“We need to keep and grow our people so they are ready for the changes in health care,” says Beth Levin, a career counselor and outreach coordinator with the Ben Hudnall Memorial Trust, which serves all members of the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions outside of SEIU UHW.

2. Know what resources are available. HRconnect and KP Learn have resources available for all KP employees, and the LMP website offers tips, tools and practices for individual and team development. Employees can learn about the four critical skills, explore career paths and access tuition reimbursement at kpcareerplanning.org.

The two education trusts offer courses at every level of development, many at no cost to employees, as well as career counseling, tuition assistance programs and more.

3. Work with career counselors. Education trust career counselors can tailor training, provide one-on-one career planning and coaching, and help with skill assessments.

For example, an indexing clerk manager in Colorado told Aldana how his employees needed more computer skills to keep doing their jobs effectively. She met with employees, discussed changes in their field, informed them of available resources and developed a plan that included onsite training.

4. Schedule time for employees to take classes. “Labor and management can come up with a schedule that works and we can offer the training,” Aldana says. “We usually can find vendors that come on site.”

5. Look for development opportunities for employees. Managers can suggest that an employee lead a huddle, serve on a committee, or become an active unit-based team participant or health and safety champion to “gain experience, build skills and network,” Levin says.

Building such engagement can get employees excited about change and encourage them to build their skills.

“When one person is successful, it inspires and motivates other people,” says Levin.