A message from Dr. Peter Yellowlees, Chief Wellness Officer
Let’s get rid of “stupid stuff” – You can make a difference!
When did you last have to print out a paper, sign it and scan it back in before sending it off via email, rather than use an electronic signature?
Have you ever been frustrated by delays when using paging systems or been challenged by trying to reach a colleague via phone, text or email?
Do you wonder who to go to with suggestions about improving the EMR?
Do you wonder about things like…
Why can’t I park a bicycle close to my workplace?
Why do some clinics have a water fountain, but others do not?
Why do patients frequently seem lost around the hospital – and ask all of us for directions?
And maybe other thoughts…
As Healthcare workers, we all know how complicated and regulated our work is. Many of us individually think about ways to make our environment and our workflows more efficient and pleasant. As our work processes constantly change, we not only have to learn new things, but also have to stop doing old stuff. We know that constant “pebbles in our shoes” can make us feel frustrated, irritable and contribute to burnout. Like you, there are others who have suggestions to improve work but just don’t know where to take new approaches or ideas.
Well, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. We are all being encouraged to communicate our ideas and suggestions to make UCD Health an even better place to work.
I want to congratulate our Leadership in introducing the excellent initiative “Help Make Us Better” at https://intranet.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/hmub. Please become part of this new initiative. Be a voice for positive change.
When you log on to the Help Make Us Better (HMUB) hub, which is also accessible from the Insider homepage, you will see three buttons: “Fix it,” “Suggest it,” and “Ask it.”
Fix it – allows you to report any immediate damage/malfunctions/repairs. Calling is encouraged: 916-734-2011 or press "0" from any landline on campus.
Suggest it – is for your ideas to make improvements, big or small, anywhere in the health system.
Ask it – allows you to ask questions of our most senior executive leadership team, medical, nursing and administrative.
You may submit to “Fix it” and “Ask it” anonymously if you prefer not to give your name.
This initiative is driven by Susan Murin, MD (Executive Director, UC Davis Medical Group), Ashish Atreja, MD (Chief Information and Digital Health Officer) and Jennifer Baron (Chief Experience Officer).
Dr. Murin commented, “I am just thrilled to see this come to fruition. When our leadership team visited various School of Medicine Departments, we heard that our faculty and staff don’t always know where to bring their concerns to have them addressed. The HMUB portal is another way for us to hear the voices of our employees and to let them help us improve the organization. We are already hearing some great ideas, and some are in process of implementation.”
The HMUB portal has only been in place for a few weeks and has already been very helpful, especially with a number of “improved efficiency” ideas that have been submitted. It is evident that a number of staff are clearly starting to think again about their daily documentation and other tasks and how these can be improved now that there is a clear place to send suggestions.
I had a look at some of the suggestions that have already been made, and which I am assured are being addressed. These range from very impactful (motorized chairs for patients in the ACC), to nice to do (water filling station at Midtown) as well as more general suggestions to improve our customer service, including the need for more training of frontline staff in this area.
So, may I suggest that all of us think about our daily work schedules, and especially longstanding documentation and workflow inefficiencies that just don’t seem to go away. Talk to your colleagues and see if the “pebbles” in your shoes also adversely affect them. Then, if you see a solution, please suggest this. If not, then bring the issue up with relevant leaders. Both are good options through the HMUB.
And finally, when you see improvements, tell your colleagues, your manager, your team, and of course do please write to me below, so that we can all celebrate the changes that have occurred. This is a really good opportunity to make the HMUB a core part of our UCDH grassroot innovation culture!
Let’s all get rid of “stupid stuff” together. Please be a participant so that we all can work better and feel better.
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