QI Leaders Academy Kaizen Program: Distribution of Health Alert Network Messages

Summary

Impact Statement: 
Health Alert Network (HAN) messages provide vital public health information to the community’s health care providers, schools, churches, day care centers, and so on. The RiverStone Health team used a 5-day Kaizen event to improve the HAN process, create job keys, involve more staff, and decrease processing time by 70%.
Summary: 

The aim of this quality improvement (QI) initiative was to improve the process for expediently delivering tailored HAN messages to a target audience and to maintain accurate distribution lists. Staff at RiverStone Health in Montana employed a 5-day Kaizen event during which they used process flow maps, cause and effect analysis, the 5-Whys, prioritization matrices, and hypothesis testing. To test the new state process, staff created job keys such as roles and responsibilities, checklists, and standardized work templates. Four staff members are now capable of putting out HAN messages, allowing greater work distribution and backup; additionally, staff decreased work time without compromising internal brand standards. Staff are continuing to investigate proprietary products to manage the distribution lists and to increase the accuracy of dissemination. Two intangible benefits were recognized: (1) a decrease in staff frustration with the HAN process, and (2) the creation of a HAN distribution team with inherent collegiality and support.

Organization that conducted the QI initiative: 
Yellowstone City-County Health Department (doing business as RiverStone Health)
Citation: 

Tapia, M. Public Health Quality Improvement Exchange. QI Leaders Academy Kaizen Program: Distribution of Health Alert Network Messages. Thu, 11/16/2017 - 14:05. Available at http://www.phqix.org/content/qi-leaders-academy-kaizen-program-distribution-health-alert-network-messages. Accessed March 28, 2024.

Submission Status: 
In Progress
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