The 2023 National Agreement between the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions and Kaiser Permanente sets out a timeline for implementing our long-standing joint staffing language. The joint staffing process is an important component in our shared commitment to making Kaiser Permanente the best place to receive care. Our new agreement requires that all departments, through their unit-based teams, have structured joint staffing and budget discussions by end of August 2025, and annually thereafter. Achieving this outcome will require the full power of partnership.

• Documenting and tracking the time to complete each step in the process  
• Identifying workflow bottlenecks
• Reviewing staffing and tweaking schedules

What can your team do to examine and improve your workflow? How do you think that would affect care and service for our member and patients?

• Sharing scheduling data with collaborative departments
• Setting boundaries to respect the other department’s needs and processes, like avoiding late-day appointments
• Writing it down and gettng consensus so everyone can follow the procedure

What can your team do to work collaboratively with a sister department to improve the patient experience? 

• Reducing cancer IV medication waste
• Scheduling back-to-back, same-day appointments
• Using smaller vials

 What can your team do to consolidate resources and improve efficiency?