Find a practice to try with your team
![Caregiver with elderly patient in a hospital room](https://bargaining2021.org/sites/default/files/rs39737_lm_17_06_07_0059-scr.jpg)
How to Boost Team Morale
Improved workflow and coordination help a short-staffed telemetry team reduce overtime and schedule an RN to cover them while on break, boosting staff morale.
- Overtime costs can put a dent in department budgets and overworked employees are at greater risk for workplace injuries.
- Scheduling a relief RN to cover staff members on break, reducing the frequency of missed breaks
![group of people sitting around a conference table](https://bargaining2021.org/sites/default/files/rs37047_lm_16_02_25-070-lpr_group_shot.jpg)
Raise Awareness to Reduce Costs
This Behavioral Health team improved care and saved $1 million by educating patients about Emergency Department use.
- By educating members about their care options, we reduce our reliance on expensive outside providers and improve service and access, ensuring that patients receive the right care at the right time.
- Team members analyzed claims data for the 20 patients who had the highest number of Emergency Department visits
![worker standing in a pharmacy stock room.](https://bargaining2021.org/sites/default/files/rs38842_lm_17_03_01-0107-scr.jpg)
Costco and Goldilocks Inspire Savings
This outpatient pharmacy team saved more than $1 million in five months by increasing bulk purchasing and ordering just the right amount—no more, no less—of high-cost medications for members.
- By ordering the right amount of drugs, the pharmacy saved money and helped keep KP affordable for our members.
- Working with pharmacists to better manage the ordering of specialty drugs
![Man standing in a rehab gym](https://bargaining2021.org/sites/default/files/rs37227_csb_16_4_29-191-scr_largo.jpg)
Team Works Out New Gym
This UBT went from meetings with a handful of representatives to including the entire team, which helped it complete a major project.
- Getting everyone involved in team projects leads to improved results and more buy-in from UBT members.
- Including the entire department in UBT meetings, projects and decisions
![Scanner Paul Mata. SEIU](https://bargaining2021.org/sites/default/files/rs26381_rag_13_04_30-146-scr_scanning.jpg)
Oversight Reduces Scanning Errors
This team ensured accuracy in scanned documents by educating team mates and openly learning from mistakes.
- Document errors can lead to problems with quality and service.
- In-service to demonstrate proper scanning workflow
![IV bags and tubing.](https://bargaining2021.org/sites/default/files/rs9289_rag_09_02_03-130-scr_iv_tubing.jpg)
Provide Care With Secondary Tubing
By using secondary tubing , which can be just as safe as primary tubing for many IV uses, this team saved a bunch of money.
- When not medically necessary, primary tubing is wasteful.
- Switching from primary tubing to secondary tubing, whenever appropriate
![Volunteer and receptionist](https://bargaining2021.org/sites/default/files/rs35272_lm_15_08_13-067-scr_reception.jpg)
Spread the Love and Loyalty
After making outreach calls to new members before their first appointments, this team saw their service scores soar.
- A welcoming environment builds loyalty in KP.
- Teaching everyone the importance of welcoming new members
![An oversupply of on-hand medications can be wasteful.](https://bargaining2021.org/sites/default/files/rs27769_rag_13_08_23-122-lpr_meds_pe1_1.jpg)
Reduce Stock of On-Hands
Purging its excess supply of rarely used pharmaceuticals helped this team keep costs under control.
- Spending money on little-used items is not effective.
- Working with providers to reduce costs and quantities of meds
![Material Management. L-R) Storekeeper 2 Steve Wells. UHW; Director Kristen Chavis. Management; and Chief Storekeeper Jeff Hayes. UHW.](https://bargaining2021.org/sites/default/files/rs23357_rag_12_06_29-053-scr_smm.jpg)
Stretch to Workplace Safety
Materials Management team drastically reduced workplace injuries when it involved the whole team in healthy prevention strategies, including start-of-shift stretches.
- On-the-job injuries are preventable and costly.
- Adding a stretch routine to daily morning huddles
![Radiology Tech Pam Fuller. SEIU 105; Rad Tech kennya Matinez. SEIU 105; Diagnostic Med Sonographer Ann Baritovich. SEIU 105; Mammographer Margaret Wollenhaupt. SEIU 105; Radiology Spervisor Steve DeBell. Management; Rad Tech Natlie Munoz. SEIU 105 and Mammographer/rad tech Dianne Powers. SEIU 105](https://bargaining2021.org/sites/default/files/rs18952_rag_11_10_19-072-scr_lakewood.jpg)
Calls Resonate for Ultrasounds
Patients did a better job of showing up for appointments when members of this Radiology team simply called to remind them.
- No-shows adversely affect care and the entire lab.
- Dividing reminder calls among several staffers
![Tualatin Clinic Lab. Phlebotomist Jeanene Peters; Lab Supervisor Ben Hofilena; Phlebotomist Mollie Lucero. LU 49; Med Lab Tech Brandy Dowling. OFNHP; Phlebotomist Ervin Ramky and Medical Lab Tech Laura Schneider. OFNH](https://bargaining2021.org/sites/default/files/rs602_rag_11_09_29-049-scr_tualatin.jpg)
Reduce Missing Lab Orders
A little bit of extra coordination to cut down on missing order yielded a lot of savings for this team.
- Missing lab orders cost money and are frustrating for patients and employees alike.
- Assigning a point person to coordinate orders across departments
![Charitable Health Coverage. L-R: Bilingual Enrollment Processor Miriam Garcia, OPEIU LU 29; Enrollment Processor/Union Steward Carl Artis, OPEIU LU 29; Enrollment Processor Arsenia Alonso, OPEIU LU 29; Systems Manager Susan Davis, Management; Systems Administrator William Bilbrey, Management; Enrollment Processor Sharlene Jone, OPEIU LU 29; National Operations Manager Maurice Rosas, Management.](https://bargaining2021.org/sites/default/files/rs26826_rag_13_05_16-074-scr_oakland.jpg)
Helping Patients Pay for the Care They Need
By finding ways to ensure forms are filled out thoroughly and correctly, this team helped members get and pay for needed care and increased their own efficiency.
- In-need patients can quality for charity care programs.
- Standardizing note-taking styles to ensure consistency