Kaiser Permanente and the Alliance of Health Care Unions
LMPartnership.org

Humans of Partnership

Female physician wearing a face mask and holding up a large sign
“Initially, I was hesitant to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, but once I educated myself about mRNA vaccines and realized that the science was not new, I felt better. Trust the science. We’ve lost so many people to this awful disease, and vaccinations can help end it sooner. As a physician, I feel I have a duty to stop the pandemic by getting vaccinated and doing everything I can to stay healthy to care for others. I haven’t been able to see my mother and other older family members, and I really miss them. My mother is scheduled to have a vaccine, and hopefully, we will be able to see each other soon. We can all do our part to end the pandemic.”
Christy Hewling , MD, senior physician director for Quality and Patient Safety (Georgia)
African American man wearing a sport coat, talking
“We can sit in the boardroom and dictate projects, but to be really transformative we need to talk to the people that do the work. We need to remove barriers. We all have a call to action: to share tests of change, reduce waste, improve quality and service, and identify barriers to spread those findings. Working in partnership is not extra work, it’s how we do work.”
David Jones, MD, senior program director, Strategic Initiatives, Transformational Change Office (Georgia)
Woman with long, curly hair, smiling
“Communication is key. During uncertain times, people crave knowledge. I believe my whole team knows that we are all here for each other, that we care about one another. I consider the people I work with my ‘work family.’ We can lean on each other. I know I can depend on them to always bring their best. Our team was impacted pretty heavily during the first exposures of COVID-19, but because of the cohesiveness of our team, we managed through some really difficult times, which has made us even stronger.”
Nicole Ward, manager, Advanced Care Center/Clinical Decision Unit (Georgia)
“Our team of physicians, nurses, and amazing staff members have all come together in one big support team like no other time before. The current situation has helped break down barriers. We are all equal, and we have learned to jump in and help each other without hesitation. Knowing I am not alone in this crisis makes all the difference to me. Our patients are experiencing anxiety, and so are we. By always being kind to one another, we can meet this moment and the ones that follow.”
Andrew Perea, registered nurse, UFCW Local 1996 (Georgia)
portrait of Julia Howard
“In 1997, I was the lead pharmacy tech and a shop steward for UAW Local 600 at a hospital in Detroit. I started at KP in 2005—before unit-based teams. Not everyone was on board with partnership. There was no team. We had no input. Once, we had an issue with an employee who was rude and made the workplace hostile. I spoke to her manager, who did nothing. It improved after several meetings and once I filed a grievance. The difference now is you come together right away, on one accord. Managers realize we work as a team. We discuss issues without fear of retaliation—before, you felt retaliation. It’s wonderful now that we have UBTs with managers fully participating. When we come to the table, everyone’s title is off. We are all the same. ”
Julia Howard, certified pharmacy technician, Brookwood at Peachtree Medical Office, UFCW Local 1996 (Georgia)
portrait of Felicia Conwell
“I’ve learned that no one in life is invincible. After battling cancer three times since age 29, I decided to never give up. I’m not a cancer fighter, I’m a cancer conqueror! Your strength is in your faith. Whatever your religion or belief system is, turn to that. That’s what I did when I dealt with cancer and again when I lost several family members back-to-back. All this loss and pain sent me through the deepest and darkest valley. I tell people don’t pity me, pray for me. I needed people to encourage me. Working at Kaiser Permanente, I talk to people all day long. When they get a diagnosis, I tell them, 'It’s going to get better.' I urge them to get a support group that will encourage them. That’s the only thing that helped me. I had to realize that no one goes through life without losing. You cry, and you know you’ve dealt with it when you can talk about it.”
Felicia Conwell, customer service coordinator and labor sponsor, UFCW Local 1996 (Georgia)

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