Front row, from left: Jessica Martins, PA; Jessica Osborne, RN; and Crystal Faill, MA. Back row, from left: Jacqueline Schubert, supervisor; JoAnn Lavin, surgical scheduling coordinator; Heather Beres, PSA III; Ryan Condon, PSA II; and Jeremy Kaufman, MD

NEMG Urology - Trumbull completes Lean Process Improvement project

NEMG Urology – Trumbull is the latest group to complete the Lean Process Improvement project. Claudia Sammartano, senior practice optimization specialist, presented best practices for the office and clinicians. Due to the large size of the office, the entire Practice Optimization team participated at various times throughout this project. Many workflows were enhanced and standardized, resulting in the following improvements:

• Consistent telephone encounters to ensure clear, accurate and complete communication
• Implemented the proper use of pools, leading to the following enhancements:
  • Reduced duplicate messages
  • Indication of who is or has been documented in a message
  • Less confusion for clinicians due to clearer communication as well as review by MA/RN
  • Greater confidence with clinicians sending to pools for consistent patient care
  • Clearer communication among staff
  • End-of-day attention to messages for better patient care
• Employed the pended orders workflow throughout the office to decrease clinician workload
  
• Analyzed clinician communication to surgical scheduling, and updated documentation resulting in decreased clinician workload
  
• Updated lead Process Improvement clinician’s personal preference list and shared with all clinicians
• Reviewed and updated radiology orders workflow, leading to a decrease in clinician workload and increase in patient satisfaction
• Reviewed all work queues with an average reduction of 50% over 8 weeks

“The Process Improvement gave us a unique experience,” said Ryan Condon, PSA II. “It allowed us to take a step back and view how our office worked as a cohesive unit. It gave us all a better understanding of how what we do in our specific positions affects our coworkers.”
  
“Process Improvement opened the lines of communication and gave the staff a voice,” said Teresa Kelly, practice optimization specialist. “A ripple effect was that teamwork proved that they could work together toward a common vision. It gave them the ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives.”