This highly interactive and engaging curriculum is designed to educate frontline teams/departments on the business of Kaiser Permanente.
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.
Level 3
Each course runs between 45 and 55 minutes:
Job categories include labor and management members of a unit-based team.
It is recommended participants have completed their foundational LMP training for level 1 and 2 teams.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This course discusses the five steps of corrective action. Participants apply those steps to scenarios throughout the course of the training.
Well-run meetings keep members of unit-based teams connected. Employees, managers and physicians can share information and solve problems face to face.
Poorly planned or badly run meetings, on the other hand, waste participants' time and lead to frustration and cynicism.
This guide will help you plan and conduct meetings that build teamwork and help your UBT make improvements that benefit our members and patients.
To enhance communication and participation, unit-based teams use processes that are designed to encourage teamwork, like outcome-oriented meetings and frequent huddles. Teams also regularly analyze data to make sure their improvement efforts are on track. Advanced UBTs employ more sophisticated approaches that include adopting or spreading successful practices and getting input from Kaiser Permanente members and patients.
UBT union co-leads can use this tool when the team is being joined by a new management co-lead to accelerate the process of building a working relationship between the new manager and the team.
This tool provides a method to evaluate the support a UBT co-lead has received from a consultant or adviser.
This tool is to help UBT co-leads understand how a sponsor is able to support their team. When using this tool, co-leads will have guidelines to understand when it is appropriate and important to seek help from their sponsors.