Cost management
Team Educates Patients and Saves $1 Million
Laureen Lazarovici
Wed, 07/05/2017 - 17:31
- Team members learning about their own benefits and researching which Emergency Departments Kaiser Permanente prefers to have members use
- Analyzing claims data for patients with the highest number of Emergency Department visits
- Educating patients about Emergency Department use
What can your team do to improve its own business literacy? And help patients make better decisions about their care?
Right Setting, Lower Costs, Better Care
Laureen Lazarovici
Fri, 06/16/2017 - 18:12
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not migrated
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Hank
Headline (for informational purposes only)
Right Setting, Lower Costs, Better Care
Deck
Team improves care and helps save $1 million by educating patients about Emergency Department use
Request Number
sty_Hank51_emergency room
Long Teaser
How one behavioral health team improves care and helps save $1 million by educating patients about Emergency Department use.
Story body part 1
When the Ridgeline Behavioral Health team members in Colorado decided to tackle outside medical costs, even they were surprised at how their small touch on a huge issue could result in such significant savings.
Team members identified two ways they thought they could have an impact—including finding out which of their patients were being seen frequently in the Emergency Department—while helping their patients get appropriate care.
“We know from evidence-based medicine that if patients are seeking care in the Emergency Department for mental health issues, it’s unlikely to provide a long-term improvement in symptoms,” explains Amy Martin, manager of Ridgeline Behavioral Health.
Team members began the project by researching which outside hospitals Kaiser Permanente prefers to have members and patients use. Armed with the new information, they created a flier explaining the options and shared it with the rest of the staff, who then shared it with patients. This way, when patients did access care, they were more likely to go to a facility that KP has a contract with and thus, cut costs.
The results were remarkable. The team’s patients’ visits to emergency departments decreased by 8.25 percent, which in turn reduced ED costs by 26 percent. The total impact for 2016: $1 million in soft-dollar savings.
Communicator (reporters)
Jennifer Gladwell
Editor (if known, reporters)
Tyra Ferlatte
Only use image in listings (editors)
not listing only
Status
Developing
Take Action: Take Credit Where Credit Is Due
Quality or service improvement projects often lead to more cost-effective care. Be sure you track the financial impact of your team’s performance improvement work and log it in UBT Tracker.
These tools will help:
Bring Mail Together and Bring Costs Down
- Sorting and metering mail at fewer locations
- Centralizing facilities mail processing for greater efficiency
- Adding meters, offering overtime, and negotiating lower rates for needed vendor services
What can your team do to consolidate supplies or services? What else could your team do to reduce waste?
Cleaner Floors, Less Water, No Fumes
- Investing in high-tech equipment
- Reducing the use of chemicals and consumption of water
- Creating a safer workplace
What can your team do to "green" your workplace?
Getting Patients Walking and Home Faster
- Starting with a truly small test of change: one shift on one day
- Creating a flow sheet to see how long it took for doctors’ orders on walking with patients to be met
- Standardizing a mobility protocol for all patients
What can your team do with a small test of change? What else could your team do to make Kaiser Permanente the best place to work and receive care?
Postcard: Affordability: Georgia GI Team
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Format
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bb2015_Postcard_ Affordability_Southwood_Specialities_Georgia
This postcard, which appears in the January/February 2015 Bulletin Board Packet, features a Gastroenterology team from Georgia that worked on reducing costs by hiring fewer contract physicians and working on scheduling of nurses, physicians and patients.
Non-LMP
Tyra Ferlatte
Released
Poster: Floor Cleaning Made Greener, Cheaper
Beverly White
Thu, 08/28/2014 - 13:10
poster
PDF
Northern California
bulletin board packet
not migrated
Quality
Poster: Floor Cleaning Made Greener, Cheaper
Tool Type
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Format:
PDF (color and black and white)
Size:
8.5” x 11”
Intended audience:
Frontline employees, managers and physicians
Best used:
Share this piece on an EVS team that maximized costs, worker safety and environmental concerns with your UBT to inspire discussion of cutting costs while being green.
bb2014_floor_cleaning_made_greener_cheaper
This poster, which appears in the September/October 2014 Bulletin Board Packet, highlights an EVS team that purchases new floor-cleaning equipment that is more cost effective, safer for workers and better for the environment.
Non-LMP
Tyra Ferlatte
Released
Simple Tool Helps Teams Track Savings
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Request Number
sty_Co_cost tool_pc1
Long Teaser
Unit-based teams are doing thousands of projects to reduce waste and improve efficiency. This simple spreadsheet can help them calculate how much they're saving.
Communicator (reporters)
Non-LMP
Editor (if known, reporters)
Tyra Ferlatte
Status
Released
Poster: Colorado Couriers Steer Away from Outsourcing
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Role
bb2014_Colorado_couriers_steer_away_from_outsourcing
This poster, which appears in the May/June 2014 Bulletin Board Packet, features a team that looked at ways to decrease outsourcing, change workflow and save money.
Beverly White
Tyra Ferlatte
Released