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Emails Lick Stamps and Envelopes on Savings

  • Using the Rapid Improvement Model to identify goals and the steps needed to improve performance
  • Tracking the number of paper envelopes mailed to patients
  • Developing smart phrases to expedite email communication

What can your team to do expand the use of existing technology to provide patients faster service? 

“How can we reach patients faster?” That question spurred a performance improvement project that yielded surprising results for one Southern California team. Clerks at the Woodland Hills Specialty Services Appointment Center relied on phone and mail to reach patients because email wasn’t an option. Then, team managers requested — and received permission —  for this group of employees to use Kaiser Permanente HealthConnect® to email patients securely (something normally only doctors and nurses did). Union members identified different ways to use email to enrich the patient care experience and created smart phrases to speed up communication. In 2 weeks, the team reduced the volume of mail by 151 letters per week. Now they’re on track to save $5,000 in mailing supplies this year.

Archived content
Live, non-archived content
TTP Blurb
Sending emails — rather than letters — is cheaper, faster and more convenient for our patients.
Why This Matters
Email provides patients with timely information about their appointments and enhances our ability to deliver safe, affordable and convenient quality care and service.
Test of Change
Tracking the number of paper envelopes mailed to patients
Short Teaser

How asking questions can yield surprising results.

Medium Teaser

Find out how members of an appointment services team in Southern California came together to improve affordability care, and service for our members and patients.

Long Teaser

Find out how members of an appointment services team in Southern California came together to improve affordability care, and service for our members and patients.

Nav Section
Preview Image
A man's hand in a tray of mail
Landing Page Title
Emails Lick Stamps and Envelopes
Topics
Affordability
Service
Region
Southern California
Communicator
Sherry Crosby
Role
Frontline Managers
Frontline Workers
UBT Consultants & UPRs
UBT Co-Leads
Keywords
mail
email
KP HealthConnect
Date of publication
This has been edited
0
Team Level
Level 5
Department
Business Services
Content Type
Team-Tested Practice
Content Goal
Instruct
High Res Photo Set
hands at a laptop and a smartphone

Thanks to an innovation spearheaded by appointment clerks, KP health plan members are getting vital information faster and more efficiently. 

Stat Icon
Big Number
$5,000
Explanation

Estimated annual savings from spending less on mailing supplies